HAZARD MITIGATION PLANNING UNIT

The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA2K) reinforces the importance of hazard mitigation planning and emphasizes planning for disasters before they occur. The DMA2K requires that all state, local and tribal governments have a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved multi-hazard mitigation plan in order to be eligible for federal disaster mitigation assistance funds. These plans are critical to maintaining eligibility for future funding. 

HAZARD MITIGATION PLANNING
Hazard mitigation planning reduces the risk to people and property, and reduces the cost of recovering from a disaster.  A hazard mitigation plan can help communities become more sustainable and disaster-resistant by focusing efforts on the hazards, disaster-prone areas and identifying appropriate mitigation actions.  Effective mitigation planning and efforts can break the cycle of disaster damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage.

Chances are your community has an approved hazard mitigation plan resulting from your local planning team’s efforts to reduce the potential loss from various hazards. This plan is a living document that requires adjustments to maintain its relevance and remain a useful tool and resource.

Your hazard mitigation planning team should continuously monitor and document any changes to the recommended actions in your plan. This is essential for determining the progress made on your hazard mitigation initiatives and in performing your annual evaluation. Annual evaluations are critical to updating your plan every five years as required by the FEMA.

COST SHARE REQUIREMENTS
To demonstrate our commitment to ensuring more sustainable communities and statewide compliance, the Arizona Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) has applied for and has been awarded federal grants to assist local and tribal governments in developing hazard mitigation plans.  ADEM is committed to this effort. To date,  ADEM has provided the 25% match requirement totaling over $630,912.

PROGRESS REPORT
The local planning team may ask the agencies or people with duties identified in the mitigation strategy to submit a progress report on projects being implemented.  We recommend the following information be included in the progress report:

• The action’s objectives;
• The lead and supporting agencies responsible for implementation;
• Estimated duration of the project, including timelines and milestones;
• Availability of resources needed for implementation, funding, staff time and technical assistance;
• Types of permits or approvals required to implement the actions;
• Details of how the actions will be accomplished and who the duties will be assigned to; and
• Current status of the project, including issues hindering progress.

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CONTACT
For additional information regarding Hazard Mitigation Planning, please contact us for your area of interest.  You may also visit FEMA's Mitigation Planning web site.