Integrated Solutions Consulting, of Fargo, N.D., has been awarded the contract to review and update Roosevelt County’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan in collaboration with Valley, Daniels and Sheridan County’s joint PDM Grant. The four counties are working together through the shared grant, with each county receiving its own personalized plan to fit its hazards-needs for mitigating natural and manmade disasters.
On Feb. 10, ISC met with the County’s Local Emergency Planning Committee to present them with an overview of the process set to take place over the next 18 months which will identify the key potential hazards within the County.
Once the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State approves of the plan, the County and incorporated towns will be asked to adopt it.
“It’s important for people to understand the financial significance and importance of this process. It is estimated that, for every $1 spent on mitigation planning the County does, an estimated $3 is saved during the disaster event and recovery period. More importantly, planning for these events is morally and ethically the right thing to do, save lives and property, and it is vital for the people of this community to be a part of that process,” said Mike Kemp, an ISC consultant.
The plan will examine the wide range of hazards that affect Roosevelt County, recent events, the probability of future occurrences and the vulnerabilities of our population. From that assessment, a plan of action to mitigate these hazards will be developed.
This process enables a community to remain resilient in times of disaster. It’s a proactive approach to dealing with what could happen in our community in terms of disaster. “With the dangers presented from the Bakken Oil, this is an excellent time to be looking at our current plan and improve upon it. As an example, people may not realize that a derailed oil tanker has the potential to require a half-mile isolation area. That would mean evacuating our entire town. Those are the potential realities we need to be looking at in this plan,” said Dan Sietsema, Roosevelt County Disaster and Emergency Services Coordinator.
Using a “Whole Community Approach” the four-phased planning process will first look at the community’s profile and makeup. In phase-two, potential hazards will be identified and in the third-phase, a formula will be used to identify the top threats to the area that need to be focused on. The final-phase will consist of identifying and implementing changes that may mitigate or lessen the potential devastation created by these threats.
“The goal at the end of the day is to essentially put together policies and procedures that help us manage and recover from hazards and the disasters they create,” said Kemp.
FEMA requires that PDM plans be updated every five years in order for the County to remain eligible to receive disaster mitigation funds.
The PDM grant is a matching-grant that requires the County to cover 25% of the cost through money, or in-kind matching. The remaining 75% is absorbed through FEMA.
The County’s LEPC meets at 2:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month at rotating locations. Future public meetings will be taking place to involve the community in drafting the plan at various locations throughout the County. For more information, contact Dan Sietsema at (406) 653-6224.
Reader Comments(0)