Mitigation and Preparedness

Mitigation, Prevention and Preparedness

Mitigation and preparedness constitute one half of the classic emergency management cycle. These activities generally occur before disasters, though post-disaster mitigation and preparedness, conducted in recognition that similar events are likely in the future, make these two activities somewhat general to the entire emergency management cycle. 

 

Mitigation is conducted to reduce or eliminate risk, addressing a hazard’s probability or consequence. Mitigation for natural hazards tends to focus upon consequence management.  For man-made hazards there are more opportunities to minimize both probability and consequence.  Preparedness is a state of readiness to respond to a disaster.  Preparedness activities generally involve the human component of hazard management, with training and public education the most common activities.  While preparedness does little to prevent the disaster from occurring, it is very effective at ensuring people know what to do once the disaster is presented.

 

Mitigation and preparedness concepts changed after 9/11 when the terrorism risk began to be perceived as being much greater than before.  The National Response Plan introduced responders and citizens alike to a new sequential disaster management terminology defined as “prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.”  Of note was that mitigation was placed last in this cycle, and that the term ‘prevention’ was introduced not only as a concept but also as a distinct phase in the cycle (defined as “actions taken to avoid an incident or to intervene to stop an incident from occurring, which involve actions taken to protect lives and property”).  With the release of the National Response Framework in 2008, however, mitigation regained some of its previous stature.

 

With terrorism, mitigation requires a much different approach.  Minimizing the likelihood of event occurrence is very possible, and is often done successfully through intelligence about terrorist activities, locations, networks, and communication strategies. This complex task requires very large expenditures to build and manage necessary systems, establish international partnerships, and build networks to identify and detain terrorists.  Terrorism consequences can also be mitigated, but the range of possible consequences makes this expensive and difficult. 

 

FEMA Mitigation Directorate

The FEMA Mitigation Directorate is responsible for a majority of Federal mitigation activities. Their mission is to protect lives and property from hazards, employing an all hazards approach.  They do this through the work of three separate divisions:

 

·         The Risk Analysis Division: provides technical expertise and analytical capability in identifying and quantifying risks, hazards and vulnerabilities. The division runs following FEMA Mitigation programs:

o   National Flood Map Modernization Program: improves existing flood maps in the United States and to create new maps based on new technology and standards for those localities that require flood maps for which no previous maps existed.

o   National Dam Safety Program: addresses dam safety and security, and includes resources for the development and maintenance of a national dam safety information network and the development by the National Dam Safety Review Board of a strategic plan that establishes goals, priorities, and target dates to improve the safety and security of US dams.

o   Mitigation Planning Program: creates multi-hazard mitigation planning manuals, “How to” guidelines, and best practice documents.

o   National Hurricane Program: helps protect communities from hurricanes by reducing the damage caused by winds and flooding through improvements in the built environment, including residential and non-residential buildings and their utility systems.

·         Risk Reduction Division: reduces risk and vulnerability through pro-active intervention measures including but not limited to land use planning, code design, and dissemination of best practices. The division is in charge of following programs:

o   National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program: seeks to reduce the risks of life and property from future earthquakes.  4 Federal agencies participate, including FEMA, NIST, the NSF, and the USGS.

o   Hazard Mitigation Grant Program: provides grants to states and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures.

o   Flood Mitigation Assistance Program: assists states and communities in implementing measures to reduce/eliminate the long-term risk of flood damage to buildings, manufactured homes, and other structures insurable under the NFIP.

o   Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program: assists states and local governments in implementing hazard mitigation activities that complement a comprehensive mitigation program.

o   Severe Repetitive Loss Program: reduce or eliminate flood related damages and insurance claims for the approximately 83.000 residential properties that qualify as structures with severe repetitive flood damage potential.

o   Repetitive Flood Claims Program: conceptually similar to the Severe Repetitive Loss Program but the criteria to qualify for the program is more relaxed.

o   Community Rating System: a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements.

·         Risk Insurance Division: runs the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), through which affordable flood insurance is provided to communities vulnerable to flood hazards, and impacts of floods are minimized through enforcement of floodplain management for new and altered buildings and structures.

 

PREVENTION ACTIONS AND PROGRAMS

Prevention refers to actions taken to avoid an incident or to intervene in an effort to stop an incident from occurring. The NRF may be implemented for threats or potential major disaster events to prevent or intervene in order to lessen the impact of an incident. Activities include: heightened inspections; improved surveillance and security operations; public health and agricultural surveillance and testing; immunizations, isolation, or quarantine; and, as appropriate, specific law enforcement operations aimed at deterring, preempting, interdicting, or disrupting illegal activity and apprehending potential perpetrators and bringing them to justice.

 

PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS AND PROGRAMS

Preparedness is defined as a state of readiness to respond to a disaster, crisis, or any other type of emergency situation, and includes those activities, programs, and systems that exist before an emergency that are used to support and enhance response to an emergency or disaster.  Preparedness is important to the overall emergency management cycle because it provides for the readiness and testing of all actions and plans before actual application occurs in response to a real incident or disaster. In the aftermath of September 11, terrorism preparedness has become a more pressing issue.

PREPAREDNESS AGAINST BIO AND CHEM ATTACKS AND ACCIDENTS

Preparedness against biological and chemical attacks and accidents poses a distinct challenge due to the unique consequences they inflict and the relatively limited experience of emergency management professionals in dealing with them.  The majority of DHS preparedness funding targets these WMD hazards. These agents present public health threats that not typically seen in either day-to-day or even major incidents of natural or unintentional man-made nature.  As such, the methods by which citizens and response officials can prepare for these attacks have only just begun to emerge in the past few months and years.  Chemical incidents do occur with regularity, but it is very rare for them to deliberately target a human population. 

 

NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL PREPAREDNESS

The NRC is the primary agency in charge of regulating the commercial radiological operations within the US, addressing civilian use of byproduct, source, and special nuclear materials to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety, promoting common defense and security, and protecting the environment.  The overall objective of NRC Emergency Preparedness (EP) is to ensure that nuclear power plant operators are capable of implementing adequate measures to protect public health and safety in the event of a radiological emergency.

 

COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS:

The following programs promote community preparedness in the United States:

·         The Corporation for National and Community Service: helps to prepare the nation for disasters through several volunteer programs, including: Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. Members and volunteers serve with national and community nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, schools, and local agencies to help meet community needs.

·         Citizen Corps: created to help coordinate volunteer activities that can make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to emergencies. Programs include: Community Emergency Response Teams, the Medical Reserve Corps, Neighborhood Watch Program, Volunteers in Police Service, and Fire Corps. 

·         The American Red Cross: has always been one of the most important partners of the Federal, State, and local governments in disaster preparedness and relief operations. Chapters have begun to develop homeland security programs to provide training for community volunteers.

 

PRIVATE SECTOR ROLE

9/11 exposed the importance of private sector involvement in crisis, emergency, and disaster management. Since that time, an ever-expanding list of private entities has begun focusing on their needs in this area, including business continuity planning and disaster management. Large, publicly-held corporations are required to perform these tasks according to the new Sarbanes-Oxley act.