6 | DISASTER RECOVERY TODAY
Mitigation Measures
Mitigation Measures
DISASTER RECOVERY TODAY | 7
FEMA developed the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program to address national public infrastructure pre-disaster hazard mitigation objectives. The program focuses on mitigation projects benefiting disadvantaged communities with nature-based solutions and climate resilience. BRIC aims to shift the focus from reactive, or post-disaster, spending toward research-supported, proactive investment in community resilience. Program goals include: • Utilizing nature-based solutions that lower carbon emissions • Promoting natural risk mitigation measures for public infrastructure and disadvantaged communities • Utilizing eco-friendly solutions that also aim to lower carbon emissions • Strengthening climate adaptation and resilience • Boosting support for adopting and enforcing up-to-date hazard- resistant building codes • Supporting multifaceted mitigation projects that match program objectives
Through the BRIC program, FEMA also provides comprehensive, non-financial Direct Technical Assistance (DTA) to communities that lack resources. This includes activities such as climate risk assessments, community engagement, mitigation planning, and guidance on BRIC grant applications. Community Disaster Resilience Zones The primary goal of the Community Disaster Resilience Zones is to channel federal, public, and private resources toward underserved communities that are particularly vulnerable to natural hazards. FEMA utilizes a natural hazard risk assessment index to identify census tracts most at risk from the effects of natural hazards and climate change. In September 2023, FEMA announced the first 483 Community Disaster Resilience Zones in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. A map and a list of designated census tracts are available on FEMA’s Community Disaster Resilience Zones page.
FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program has Post-Fire Assistance available to help communities implement hazard mitigation measures for wildfire disasters. Funded by Sections 404 and 420 of the Stafford Act, it allocates grants to state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments in areas with a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) declaration independent of a Presidential Disaster Declaration. The FMAG program provides federal assistance for fire suppression activities and is available to mitigate, manage, and control fires in public or private forests or grasslands, as such destruction could become a major disaster. Eligible firefighting costs may include expenses for: • Field Camps • Repair and replacement tools The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) provides mitigation grant opportunities to state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments with a focused mission of preventing or reducing future loss of life and property for presidentially declared disasters. HMGP encourages a proactive approach to mitigate future
damages from natural disasters, focusing on implementing mitigation measures in long-term recovery. The implementation of hazard mitigation measures aids in response and strengthens a community’s overall ability to withstand the effects of a natural disaster in the future.
The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program is a pre-disaster mitigation program focused on mitigation projects benefiting disadvantaged communities
The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) provides funding for SLLTs
HMGP Post-Fire Assistance offers grants to communities to implement mitigation measures that reduce wildfire risks
• Mobilization and demobilization activities • Equipment use • Materials and supplies The HMGP Post-Fire Assistance program consolidates grants from multiple FMAG declarations into one award per recipient each fiscal year to streamline the administration process.
Proper planning can help utilize significant federal funding for mitigation activities before an incident occurs.
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