Project Background
Hazard Mitigation planning is a proactive effort to identify actions that can reduce the dangers to life and property from natural hazard events, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, winter storms and earthquakes.
For the cities and towns in the Boston Metro region, hazard mitigation planning tends to focus most on flooding, the most likely natural hazard to impact municipalities. The Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires all municipalities that wish to be eligible to receive FEMA funding for hazard mitigation grants, to adopt a local multi-hazard mitigation plan and update this plan in five year intervals.
MAPC's role
MAPC, with support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Program, provides assistance to cities and towns to develop and update their local Hazard Mitigation Plans.
The plans and updates produced under through this program are designed to individually meet the requirements of the Disaster Mitigation Act for each municipality and provide a resource for other local and regional planning efforts (e.g., Master Plans, Climate Change planning, Capital Improvements Programs, etc.).
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and Pre-Disaster Mitigation Procurement Guidance:
Communities seeking the services of a Contractor to perform a Hazard Mitigation Plan under an “HMGP” grant and/or through a Pre-Disaster Mitigation “PDM” grant must comply with Federal Procurement Regulations for Small Purchase Acquisitions, which is a simplified procurement procedure to obtain competitive quotes.
Communities must follow their own written procurement requirements in alignment with the Federal Regulations.
How to procure a Contractor to perform a Hazard or Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan:
- Obtain 3 quotes from qualified sources. This solicitation does not have to be written, and no public notice is required. MEMA has provided a Scope of work for all communities. Using that Scope of Work, communities solicit quotes or rates.
- Award a contract to a responsible Contractor that can perform the service needed. Communities should consider the integrity, past performance, and financial and technical resources offered by the Contractor.
Communities must document their procurement efforts and retain that file for any potential audit.
Why it's important
Hazard mitigation means to permanently reduce or alleviate the losses of life, injuries, and property resulting from natural hazards through long-term strategies, such as planning, changes in policy, educational programs, public works projects and preservation of floodplains and wetlands.
Resources
To be added in the near future.
Upcoming Meetings
Update to the City of Medford Local Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan
There are no upcoming meetings at this time.