Pre-Disaster Mitigation and Emergency Planning

The passage of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000) has focused the nation’s attention on the role and importance of mitigation in reducing losses from natural, technological and human-caused hazards. Toward this end, DMA 2000 requires that states and local governments have approved hazard-mitigation plans in place by November 2004 in order to remain eligible for funds under certain federal programs such as the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and the Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program. In some cases, states also have adopted legislation that requires local jurisdictions to have hazard mitigation plans in order to remain eligible for certain state funds.

 

PBS&J is uniquely positioned to help states and communities meet planning requirements such as those established by DMA 2000 and to leverage existing, available resources to put this important planning initiative into action. All of the mitigation planning services offered by PBS&J can be tailored to meet the important and unique needs of any state or community.

 

Our goal at PBS&J is to help state and local governments build the capacity needed to conceive, develop, implement and maintain plans and programs that reduce the nation’s vulnerability to natural- and human-caused hazards. It is also our desire to aid state and local governments following a disaster, helping officials to identify and benefit from those opportunities that arise in a post-disaster environment.

 

Capabilities:

  • Capability assessments
  • Comprehensive hazard mitigation planning
  • Evaluation of losses avoided through mitigation
  • Grants management services
  • Hazard, risk, and vulnerability assessments
  • Policy and strategy consultation (pre-disaster)
  • Policy and strategy consultation (post-disaster)
  • Training assistance
  • Use of geographic information systems (GIS)