Hazard mitigation is the cornerstone of emergency management. It is the ongoing effort to lessen the impact that disasters can have on people and property. Without mitigation, the same people, property and community lifelines are affected over and over again.
The emergency management cycle generally has four phases:
- Preparedness is when we develop or update activities, programs and systems before an event happens. These activities are often tested (or exercised) in non-emergency situations. This tests their effectiveness. Emergency managers also assess potential risks, hazards and vulnerabilities in this phase.
- Response focuses on the immediate and short-term effects of a disaster. It is usually focused on life safety and preventing immediate damage.
- Recovery is a long-term phase that looks to return a community to normal, or to a more resilient state, after a disaster.
- Mitigation focuses on building (or rebuilding) in ways that reduce the risk more permanently. It is an activity that can occur at any point in the emergency management cycle. For example, communities can undertake mitigation actions before a disaster (the preparedness phase) or while rebuilding after a disaster (the recovery phase).
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A core responsibility of local governments is to protect health, safety and public welfare. Investing in mitigation supports this responsibility. According to the National Institute of Building Sciences’ Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves 2019 report, every $1 in federal grants invested in mitigation can save up to $6. Mitigation can:
- Protect public safety and prevent loss of life and injury.
- Build resilience to current and future disaster risks.
- Prevent damage to a community’s economic, cultural and environmental assets.
- Reduce operational downtime and speed up the recovery of government and business after disasters.
- Reduce the costs of disaster response and recovery, as well as the exposure to risk for first responders.
- Help achieve other community goals, such as protecting infrastructure, preserving open space and boosting economic resilience.