OPPORTUNITES FOR GREATER PREPAREDNESS IMT INCENTIVE PAY
The better prepared Pearland is for disaster the more resilient our residents, businesses, and community organizations will be, the better they will withstand disaster, and the more quickly and completely they will recover from it. When our community is prepared, the city's response will be more effective, efficient, and less costly. The faster our community recovers, the more quickly revenue streams on which the city relies to fund essential services are restored.
A financial incentive that motivates staff to volunteer for IMT duty, and complete basic and advanced ICS training promises a more stable and proficient team prepared to deliver a more efficient, effective, safe, and federally reimbursable response. OEM struggles to recruit, train, and retain IMT staff because... Staff are largely consumed with daily duties IMT promises more work but offers little incentive Few staff are inclined to absorb additional responsibilities
Damage Assessment Hurricane Beryl highlighted the importance of developing a comprehensive damage assessment plan and designating a team trained to quickly assess both internal and external damage. Rapid and thorough damage assessment is critical because only then can the city bring to bear the resources necessary to stabilize the community and initiate its recovery. Equally important, damage assessment is a prerequisite for federal disaster assistance (i.e., FEMA Individuals and Households Program, FEMA Public Assistance, Small Business Administration disaster loans, etc.). Federal assistance is contingent, however, on satisfaction of state and county financial thresholds that continue to increase making it more challenging to meet the thresholds that trigger a federal disaster declaration. [6] [6] FY2024 Public assistance thresholds for Brazoria County and the State of Texas (response costs and uninsured damage) are $1,711,343 (+ 3.5%) and $53,627,729 (+ 3.8%) respectively. This represents an increase of approximately 31% since 2010 and approximately 9.2% over 2022. In the absence of federal or state reimbursement, disaster response costs are borne entirely by the city and its residents. Therefore, it is in the interest of every local jurisdiction to maintain the capability to rapidly calculate response costs and reliably estimate uninsured damage. If Pearland knows whether financial thresholds have been satisfied, and federal assistance is forthcoming, it can more confidently pursue response and recovery efforts. In the aftermath of disaster, Pearland, surrounding counties, and the entire state must be prepared to quickly communicate the magnitude of response costs and uninsured damage to the federal government.
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