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Council adopts Central Shenandoah Hazard Mitigation Plan to preserve FEMA grant eligibility
Summary
Fire Chief Jason Ball told council the updated, regional hazard mitigation plan covers natural and human-caused hazards across the Central Shenandoah region and restores FEMA eligibility for grants; he highlighted new capabilities such as Everbridge geofencing to reach people within the city's geofence during events.
Chief Jason Ball walked council through the 2026 Central Shenandoah Hazard Mitigation Plan and why local adoption matters for FEMA grant eligibility and disaster assistance. Ball said the plan evaluates eight natural hazards and four human-caused threats across the region and includes jurisdiction-specific mitigation actions.
Ball highlighted outreach and preparedness work, including distribution of smoke detectors and the city's upgraded alert capability: "Now we're able to geofence anyone in the city. If there's a hazard, we can go into our Everbridge system again and reach [them] regardless of whether they're from California or Maine," he said, noting Everbridge reaches devices inside a geofence while people are physically present there. Council moved and adopted the plan by roll call.
Ball and staff said the updated plan supports disaster reimbursement eligibility and continued educational campaigns for individual preparedness. Councilors thanked staff for the regional coordination.
