Ask any emergency planner, and they will tell you. Hazard Mitigation Planning (HMP), though crucial to their jurisdiction, school district or campus, is the most complicated, and oftentimes dreaded, of all the phases of emergency management. As such, it is commonly set to the side and only dealt with when absolutely necessary, becoming the so-called “elephant in the room” for a number of good reasons.

For starters, developing the initial hazard mitigation plan can be a grueling exercise. The process consumes valuable time, resources and money, none of which is readily available these days. Secondly, the plan requires full buy-in from all key stakeholders, which can present some interesting challenges on its own. Last, but not least, the plan must be meticulously documented, as well as reviewed and updated on a regular basis.

According to FEMA, there are four core steps in the general process of completing a hazard mitigation plan, or plan update. They are:

  1. Organize the planning process and resources
  2. Assess risks
  3. Develop a mitigation strategy
  4. Adopt and implement the plan

Easier said than done, these four activities (even with the assistance of others) can take the most experienced emergency planner months upon months to complete. And, time is not always on their side. This is especially true if FEMA’s required five-year review is looming, and certain conditions must be met in order to receive various FEMA funds.

Many emergency planners find it beneficial to farm their hazard mitigation plan(s) out to a qualified, actively engaged vendor. Ideally, this vendor possesses the resources, knowledge and technical expertise required to develop such plans, and demonstrates a steadfast commitment to help break the cycle of disaster damage and property. The vendor should also stand ready to assist in the rigorous review process by FEMA and other governing agencies if called upon to do so.

BOLDplanning, an industry leader in online planning software for Emergency Operations Planning (EOP), Continuity of Operations and Continuity of Government Planning (COOP/COG) and Hazard Mitigation Planning (HMP), can help your jurisdiction, school district or university, fill this critical need.

Learn more now about BOLDplanning’s comprehensive hazard mitigation planning services, including grant writing, process facilitation, risk assessment, and strategy development now. By doing so, you can confidently take on the metaphorical elephant in the room, and ultimately lessen the impact of the next big disaster.