Columbus, Ohio – Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security (FCEM&HS) invites area residents and businesses to review and comment on the Franklin County Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan. The plan can be accessed on our website at https://fcemhs.org/Planning/Natural-Hazards-Mitigation
Please submit all comments and/or questions regarding the plan to FCEM&HS at[email protected] or call (614) 724-0805.
The Franklin County Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan is mandated at the federal level for local jurisdictions seeking federal mitigation funding and requires a complete update every five years. The plan enables jurisdictions in Franklin County to use federal funding to implement or update projects designed to reduce the impact of natural hazards on their communities- such as the installation of tornado sirens to reduce the loss of life from tornadoes.
“Every natural disaster highlights the benefit of proactively mitigating the likelihood and impact a natural disaster has on a community and Central Ohio is no different," said Jeff Young, Director of Franklin County Emergency Management & Homeland Security. "Having a plan such as this will assist our local jurisdictions as they look for ways to reduce the after effects of a disaster on their community and assist with recovery efforts."
The U.S. Federal government requires local and state governments to have a FEMA-Approved Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan as established by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 in order to qualify for Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) project grant dollars. These programs are critical sources of Federal funding, especially for a community that wants to proactively initiate mitigation projects using PDM dollars, or for a community that needs HMGP funding following a presidentially declared disaster.
FCEM&HS adheres to federal requirements to update the County’s emergency preparedness plans in an effort to keep residents, businesses, and organizations vigilant and well prepared for all types of disasters. The purpose of mitigation planning is to identify policies and actions that can be implemented over the long term to reduce risk and future losses. This planning effort represents the dedicated participation of the County and all municipalities within Franklin County.