Local mitigation strategy (LMS) - Volusia County Government

SECTION 7: CAPABILITY ASSESSMENTSurvey results indicate that 10 of the jurisdictions have their own disaster recovery plan. Apotential mitigation action that should be considered is for all participating jurisdictions todevelop their own disaster recovery plan that would incorporate mitigation opportunities intothe disaster recovery process.Emergency Operations Plan: An emergency operations plan outlines responsibilities and the means bywhich resources are deployed to respond to an emergency or disaster. Many communities choose toupdate their emergency operations plan before events occur to better prepare for future disasters. Thisis an example of hazard mitigation.Volusia County Emergency Management maintains the emergency operations plan that alsocovers their respective jurisdictions. In general, emergency operations planning has beendetermined to have a moderate effect on loss reduction, as its emphasis focuses onpreparedness and response operations rather than hazard mitigation activities.Continuity of Operation Plan: A continuity of operations plan establishes a chain of command line ofsuccession, and plans for backup or alternate emergency response resources in case of an extremeemergency. Developing a continuity of operation plan is an example of hazard mitigation.Survey results indicate that 14 of jurisdictions in Volusia County have a continuity of operationsplan in place. Each of the other jurisdictions is encouraged to consider preparing their owncontinuity of operations plans as a possible mitigation action for inclusion this Plan.7.3.3 General PlanningThe implementation of hazard mitigation activities should involve agencies and individuals beyond theemergency management profession. Other stakeholders may include local planners, public worksofficials, economic development specialists and others. Because in many instances, concurrent localplanning efforts help achieve or complement hazard mitigation goals, even though they are notspecifically designed as such, the Capability Assessment Survey asked questions regarding eachjurisdiction’s general planning capabilities and the degree to which hazard mitigation is integrated intoother ongoing planning efforts.Comprehensive Land Use Plan: A comprehensive land use plan establishes the overall vision for acommunity, and serves as a guide for future governmental decision making. Typically a comprehensiveplan is comprised of a summary of current and expected demographic conditions, land use,transportation elements and community facilities. Given the broad nature of the plan and its regulatorystanding in many communities, the integration of hazard mitigation measures into the comprehensiveplan can greatly enhance the likelihood of achieving risk reduction goals, objectives and actions.All jurisdictions within the region have a comprehensive land use plan as required by state law.Capital Improvements Plan: A capital improvements plan guides the scheduling of spending for publicimprovement projects. A capital improvements plan can serve as an important mechanism to guideVolusia County Multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation PlanFebruary 20107:5