The Long-Term Community Recovery (LTCR) Assessment Tool
Under the National Response Plan, Emergency Support Function (ESF) #14 - Long-Term Community Recovery is charged with the mission of organizing Federal support to communities faced with daunting recovery challenges arising from long-term consequences of an Incident of National Significance. In support of this mission, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has developed a Long-Term Community Recovery (LTCR) Assessment Tool.
Every Incident of National Significance is different, in terms of the impacts of the disaster on affected communities. Following each disaster, affected communities will have varying degrees of access to resources and capabilities to address recovery needs, based on what is available locally or from the State, through mutual assistance, or from the private sector.
The Long-Term Community Recovery (LTCR) Assessment Tool:
- Is intended to help authorities analyze the impacts of a disaster on a community, while taking into consideration the local government’s capacity to assist in promoting its own long-term recovery.
- Takes a holistic approach to community recovery by looking at how damages can result in impacts greater than the material scope of a disaster, and by identifying gaps in recovery assistance.
- Assists Federal and multi-level decision makers identify the type and level of supplemental long-term community recovery assistance that may be needed for full recovery from a disaster, though it is not tied to any specific funding sources.
Although primarily developed to support the mission of ESF-14, the Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) may also use the Tool in Incidents that do not result in ESF-14 activation. The Tool includes processes and procedures for assessing long-term recovery needs, community evaluation protocols, standard planning templates, staffing strategies, and timetables for various levels of effort.
Generally, the LTCR Assessment Tool will be applied when the FCO determines it may be appropriate (possibly after request by a State). FEMA or contract staff will conduct the assessment with assistance from the State, local officials, other Federal agencies, private sector, and voluntary agencies. The Tool analyzes a disaster’s impact within three sectors: Housing, Economy (including Agriculture), and Infrastructure/Environment. This feature facilitates the tailoring of a long-term community recovery service level and sector strategy to the area’s needs. While the Tool is designed to be used at the local level; it can, with minor modifications, be used for a wide variety of regional applications.
Before undertaking a complete sector area analysis, a preliminary screening determines whether the damage from the disaster - measured against local capacity and resources - warrant further review with respect to long-term community recovery. The preliminary screening, relying upon readily available information, can be accomplished in a matter of hours for each jurisdiction. Conversely, the Sector Analyses make take a few days, depending upon the level of complexity and amount of data at hand.
Each analysis provides an overview of the sector and important considerations for assessing the net impacts. Factors for each of the Sectors are addressed in three general categories:
- Disaster-Related Damages - The extent (geographic and magnitude) of damage for each Sector.
- Local Resiliency Indicators - Establish the pre-disaster baseline condition of the Sector.
- Resources/Local Capacity - The community/governmental resources available and whether the community has the administrative capacity to address disaster recovery needs.
Once the Sector Analysis has been completed, the next step is for the FCO, in partnership and coordination with the other Federal agencies and the State, to establish the appropriate level of long-term community recovery assistance, which consists of two elements: planning and implementation.
Illustrated below is the relationship between the Assessment, Planning Support, and Implementation Support components of the LTCR Assessment Tool. The various service levels represent different options depending on the need and capabilities of the affected community, ranging from providing a Local Recovery Manager to mentor State and local officials, to convening a Task Force of key federal, state, and non-profit agencies to identify resources and strategies for implementing key recovery projects.
Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 11:14:21 EDT