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Emergency management: county’s multi-hazard mitigation plan approved by FEMA; outreach to towns next
Summary
Emergency Management Director told commissioners FEMA approved the county’s multi-hazard mitigation plan after revisions; the county will invite participating small towns to adopt the plan and will distribute a commodity flow study for emergency planning.
Delaware County’s multi-hazard mitigation plan, previously approved by the county and the state, has received FEMA approval following minor verbiage changes, Emergency Management Director John Coutinho told commissioners on Aug. 4. The county will now offer the plan to participating small towns for local adoption.
Coutinho said VantagePoint Consulting handled the resubmission to FEMA after FEMA requested wording changes. He added that a commodity-flow study is being completed and expected in September; that study, together with the mitigation plan, will be provided to local fire and police departments for planning purposes. Coutinho said county staff had contacted Norfolk Southern and CSX to obtain rail commodity-flow data for the past 12 months and will include relevant hazardous-material flows in planning documents.
Why it matters: FEMA-approved mitigation plans are prerequisites for certain grant programs and for coordinated hazard planning across jurisdictions; commodity-flow information helps first responders plan for incidents involving hazardous material on local roadways and rail lines.
Action and next steps: no further county ordinance action was required at the Aug. 4 meeting; Coutinho will continue outreach to small towns so they may adopt the county plan and will distribute the commodity-flow study to local jurisdictions when complete.
Ending: Commissioners thanked staff for the work; the plan provides five years of coverage and will be used for planning and grant eligibility.
