Abstract
Mitigation techniques are ancient.  Not always named or realized, they have been practiced for centuries.  Some strategies are small, such as the incorporation of smoke alarms in the home; some are large, such as elevating homes in a community above flood levels.  While mitigation has changed over the years, a drastic change took place following the September 11th terrorist attacks, or did it?  

This paper will focus on community level mitigation policies and practices.  For the purposes of this paper, funding, unless driven by policies or practices, will be omitted.  In addition, the new Department of Homeland Security will not be discussed in detail, as the gargantuan changes it will propose will exceed the allotted size of this paper.  For the purposes of this paper regional focus will be on, Fairfax County, Virginia, Arlington County, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.  Research for this paper was conducted through the Internet, plans of local emergency agencies, and journal articles.

Before September 11th mitigation strategies were focused on preparing for known disasters.  According to FEMA, hazard identification was the first step in mitigation followed by risk assessment, planning, and changes.  However, following September 11th, essentially the same strategy was suggested.  In addition, only slight changes in the actual policies and practices of local emergency management were found.  The main changes included the resurgence of a focus on terrorism events, especially biological and chemical terrorism.  Another significant change is to an all-hazards approach toward emergency management and mitigation.  However, these changes are not as drastic as thought.

Future recommendations include a study of the surge of mitigation as a result of amount of damage following a disaster, continuing an all-hazard approach toward mitigation, and encouraging mitigation through policies, including federal regulations.