Comparative Emergency Management

1. Comparative Emergency Management Session 17 Slide Deck Session 17

2. Session Objectives • Provide an Overview of the Factors Involved in Selecting Risk Mitigation Options • Describe the STAPLEE Method of Assessing Risk Mitigation Options • Describe an Alternative Method of Assessing Mitigation Options Developed Outside the United States • Explain Why Mitigation Measures Must Be Incorporated into Development and Relief Projects Session 17

3. Assessing Mitigation Actions • Emergency managers must understanding mitigation measure • Costs • Sought after benefits • Expected and unexpected secondary consequences • This knowledge allows emergency managers to take the most responsible actions when assembling the most appropriate combination of risk mitigation measures to address their community’s or country’s unique risk profile Session 17

4. Factors to Consider • Expected impact on risks and vulnerabilities • Probability of implementation • The amount of political support • The amount of public support • The amount of support from the business sector • The amount of support from nonprofit and interest groups • Financial costof the measure (short- and long-term) • The long-term vs. short-term benefits that the mitigation measure offers Session 17

5. Hazard Mitigation Plan • These plans: • Detail the community risk reduction strategies • Represent the end result risk assessment / analysis • The processes by which mitigation options are selected stem from the steps involved in drafting a risk mitigation plan. • The plan is based on such things as: • Capability • Costs / benefits • Risk reduction that will be achieved • Public acceptability • Goals of the community Session 17

6. STAPLEE • Methodical / standardized • First developed by FEMA • Allows emergency managers to use a consistent process • A mitigation option analyzed according to the STAPLEE criteria may produce very different outcomes in different places • Each criteria considers a different aspect of the community and requires different methods of information collection and analysis • No definable or identifiable priority or weight assigned to any of the criteria Session 17

7. STAPLEE (Continued) • Stands for: • Social • Technical • Administrative • Political • Legal • Economic • Environmental Session 17

8. OAS Risk Mitigation Planning Process • In the aftermath of Hurricane Georges • Two Countries: • St. Kitts and Nevis • Antigua and Barbuda • Project sought to formalize hazard mitigation planning and projects • Standard methodology Session 17

9. OAS Process Steps • Training • Hazard Assessments • Vulnerability Assessments • Capability Assessments • Plan Formulation Session 17

10. OAS Mitigation Plan Components • Goals • “To improve the national capability to manage the impact of natural hazards” • Objectives • “Develop technical training programs” • Tasks • “Pass Development Regulations for the Development Control Planning Act 2000” • Mitigation Actions • “Strengthen and reinforce the structure of public buildings along with accompanying facilities such as water and power distribution lines, and roads” Session 17

11. Mitigation and Development • Development workers must be aware of hazards • Hazard mitigation must be incorporated into project design • Obstacles: • Mitigation is costly • Risk may not be known • Poor political support • Poor political understanding • World Bank Disaster Management Facility Session 17

12. Mitigation and Recovery • Disasters are ‘opportunities in disguise’ • Rebuilt society can be more resilient than before the disaster occurred • New focus on risk in the immediate aftermath of the disaster Session 17