Public Commentary Requested on Plan to be Reviewed by FEMA

Residents of the City of San Bernardino are invited to submit commentary regarding the city’s updated Hazard Mitigation Plan prior to its submission June 30 to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for review. The plan, which was first adopted in 2005, outlines the city’s strategy for handling hazardous situations to reduce or eliminate loss of life and property due to emergencies and disasters. All public input should be addressed and forwarded to: San Bernardino County Fire Department, Office of Emergency Service; Attn: Mr. Miles Wagner, 1743 Miro Way, Rialto, CA 92376 or via email at miles.wagner@oes.sbcounty.gov. Residents can view the updated Hazard Mitigation Plan on the home page of the city website, www.ci.san-bernardino.ca.us. The revision project is a collaboration among the City of San Bernardino, FEMA, the State of California Office of Emergency Services and the San Bernardino County Office of Emergency Services and addresses several areas including jurisdictional participation information, the planning process documentation and public involvement, risk assessment, mitigation strategy and planned maintenance for past and current hazard projects. Plans such as this one will stop the costly cycle of paying recovery fees after emergencies and disasters and ensure post-disaster repairs and reconstruction result in a reduction of vulnerability to hazards in the future. While disasters cannot be prevented, further destruction and loss can be prevented through public education, awareness efforts and preventative preparedness methods and strategies, as outlined in the plan. The Hazard Mitigation Plan update process will be completed and submitted to FEMA by June 30 for approval and will then be returned to the San Bernardino City Council. About the City of San Bernardino Hazard Mitigation Plan The City of San Bernardino’s Hazard Mitigation Plan serves to meet the requirements of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000), Section 322 (a-d) for local governments, as a condition of receiving federal disaster mitigation funds, have a mitigation plan that describes the process for identifying hazards, risks and vulnerabilities, identify and prioritize mitigation actions, encourage the development of local mitigation, and provide technical support for those efforts. REQUIREMENT IFR• 201.6 (C) (1): An open public involvement process is essential to the development of an effective plan. In order to develop a more comprehensive approach to reducing the effects of natural disasters, the planning process shall include: (1) an opportunity for the public to comment on the plan during the drafting stage and prior to plan approval; (2) an opportunity for neighboring communities, local and regional agencies involved in hazard mitigation activities, and agencies that have the authority to regulate development, as well as businesses, academia and other private and non-profit interests to be involved in the planning process; (3) Review and incorporation, if appropriate, of existing plans studies, reports, and technical information. [The plan shall document] the planning process used to develop the plan, including how it was prepared, who was involved in the process, and how the public was involved.