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Preparing a Local Disaster Plan

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Introduction

Planning locally for disaster—whether done comprehensively by a municipal body or narrowly for a single agency or institution—is probably the single best defense against the threat of disaster.  Local governments and institutions often know their communities best, and with the help of a plan can use this knowledge to react effectively to disaster scenarios.  This document intends to be an overview of the process of creating a disaster plan and a guide to a set of resources that offer detailed instructions for creating your own.

blue check markThe most critical resources relating to this topic are marked below with a check. 

Critical Organizations

Getting Started

The plan you or your organization creates will depend on the resources you have available to create the plan as well as the scope you decide is appropriate (for information on financial resources available for planning, see the FINANCIAL RESOURCES heading later in this document).  In order to get acquainted with the different forms a disaster plan may take, you may wish to familiarize yourself with the format and content of the following three examples, which represent varying lengths and scopes but address the same core work:

An indispensible resource for anyone seeking to integrate historic preservation into disaster planning is Preparing to Preserve: An Action Plan to Integrate Historic Preservation into Tribal, State and Local Emergency Management Plans (Heritage Preservation, December 2008, 22 pages).  It is a plainly written step-by-step guide that thoroughly addresses the interface of preservation practice and policy with different levels of government and response mechanisms.

Protecting The Past from Natural Disasters (by Carl L. Nelson, Preservation Press, 1989) is another excellent resource to guide the creation of a preservation-integrated disaster plan.  Though out of print (it is available from resellers online) and a little dated, it provides detailed information on how to approach different steps in the process. 

Key Elements of a Disaster Plan

A disaster preparedness plan for historic properties not only codifies actions that should be taken to respond to a disaster, it also depends on the existence of supporting resources in order to reach its full potential.  The following is a list of elements or steps critical to the success of any plan:

Identify the risks particular to your city or region.

This can include specific disasters as well as specific institutional, resource, physical or political vulnerabilities.  Are historic resources in your area vulnerable to floods, hurricanes, tornados, or fires?  Is there any special risk posed by particular building materials or construction methods prevalent in local historic structures?  Do institutional or political circumstances create roadblocks for preservation? 

Identify federal, state, and local programs & mechanisms dedicated to disaster preparedness and response in your state, region, or city.

Identifying programs can help flag sources of aid as well as potential areas where you may need to work to better integrate preservation with existing procedures.  Check with your state government's State Historic Preservation Office and State Emergency Management Office, and find out if you have a county or local disaster officer or coordinator. 

Important Resources:

Create a local architectural survey and keep it up to date

An architectural survey serves as an inventory of important resources.  In the event of a disaster, the survey helps you know where in your city and on your building to look for damage, and what kind of damage or loss to look for.  Additionally, a survey is an indispensible element of developing National Register historic district (a designation conferred by the Department of the Interior upon completion of a thorough nomination, often by local departments, consultants or organizations).  When a resource is individually listed, listed as "contributing" in a district, or is eligible for the National Register, it becomes eligible for certain federal and state tax credits, grants-in-aid, exemptions in the National Flood Insurance Program, and must be given consideration during any FEMA-funded post-disaster mitigation projects including construction, demolition, relocation, etc. 

Important Resources:

Provide resources and recommendations for home and building owners.

Historic home and building owners should take steps to organize their affairs (verify the soundness of their insurance coverage, document their building) as well as to physically protect and secure their property.  The latter will depend largely on the risks and threats identified earlier. 

Important Resources:

Plan for recovery

Knowing what to do in the hours, days, and weeks after a disaster can make the difference between losing and saving valuable historic resources.  Having a recovery strategy in place increases the chances that damaged historic structures will survive, that state and federal monies are deployed to your greatest local advantage, and that the value and character of your city or town live on. 

Important Resources:

Financial Resources for Planning & Response

  • blue check markFEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program.  This program provides funds to states, territories, Indian tribal governments, communities, and universities for hazard mitigation planning and the implementation of mitigation projects prior to a disaster event.
  • blue check markwww.floodsmart.gov, the official website of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
  • FEMA Public Assistance Grant Program.  This program is designed to provide assistance to State, Tribal and local governments, and certain types of Private Nonprofit organizations so that communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies declared by the President.
  • Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans.  SBA offers several different types of loans designed to keep businesses in operation after disasters and to rebuild or replace uninsured or underinsured disaster damages.
  • Before and After Disasters: Federal Funding for Cultural Institutions (FEMA).  This guide is an updated and expanded version of Resources for Recovery: Post-Disaster Aid for Cultural Institutions, first developed in 1992 by Heritage Preservation and then revised in 2000. Before and After Disasters includes summary descriptions and contact information for 15 Federal grant and loan programs (pdf).
  • Community Development Block Grant Program (HUD) is a flexible grant program that provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs, which could include disaster planning.
  • National Trust For Historic Preservation Grant Funds.  The National Trust provides two types of assistance to nonprofit organizations and public agencies: 1) matching grants from $500 to $5,000 for preservation planning and educational efforts, and 2) intervention funds for preservation emergencies.  Visit the Grant Funds website to learn more about the availability of funds and how to apply for assistance.
  • The President's Advisory Council On Historic Preservation: Federal Financial Assistance for Historic Preservation Projects—Disaster Response.  A list of list of Federal disaster relief programs focused on providing financial assistance for structural rehabilitation after a disaster or supporting proactive efforts to reduce or prevent future potential damage.
  • Navigating FEMA and SBA Disaster Aid (Heritage Preservation).  A brief guide to understanding what is available and to whom.

For Further Reading


General

Fire

  • NFPA 914: Code for Fire Protection of Historic Structures, (National Fire Protection Association) used by National Trust properties. 
  • Fire Ratings of Archaic Materials and Assemblies, (HUD) A 184-page HUD document detailing the fire safety of materials often found in historic buildings but often omitted from contemporary fire ratings sources.  This document can assist in the modernization and reuse of historic buildings by providing more thorough information on the fire safety of certain materials.
  • Fire Inspection Checklist, (National Fire Protection Association) Designed for professionals but relevant to building and homeowners, this checklist can help identify and reduce fire risks in historic buildings.
  • Fire Safety Retrofitting in Historic Buildings (GSA, 1989)
  • New Concern for the Flammability of Building Contents (Interior Design, v. 57, pg. 97)
  • Automatic Fire Suppression for Historic Structures:  Options & Applications (APT Bulletin, v 34, no 4, 35-40)
  • Considering Fire-safety Improvements to Historic Buildings (APT Bulletin, v 34, no 4, 35-40
  • Fire Prevention & Building Code Compliance for Historic Buildings (Vermont Department of Labor & Industry)
  • Fire Protection at Mount Vernon: Incorporating Modem Fire Safety Systems into an Historic Site (Technology & Conservation, 5, pgs 18-25, 1980)

Earthquake

Web Resources

Print Resources

  • An Action Plan for Reducing Earthquake Hazards of Existing Buildings (FEMA 90, December 1985, hard copy only)
  • Appendix to the Guidebook to Identify and Mitigate Seismic Hazards in Buildings (Seismic Safety Commission, 1987).
  • Architectural Practice & Earthquake Hazards (Seismic Safety Commission, 1991).
  • Between Two Earthquakes (ICCROM, 1987)
  • Creating a Seismic Safety Advisory Board (FEMA 266, 1995)
  • Downtown Design: Seismic Strengthening of Historic Main Street Buildings I: Outline of the Design Process (California Main Street Program)
  • Earthquake Hazard Reduction: Cumulative Impacts on Historic Buildings (Community Redevelopment)
  • Earthquake Hazard Reduction in Unreinforced Masonry Buildings: Program Alternatives: Draft Summary of Comments and Responses, Draft Environmental Impact Report (City and County of San Francisco, 1991
  • Earthquake Safe: A Hazard Reduction Manual for Homes (Builder's Booksource, 1989)
  • Earthquake! You Can Prepare (Mayor's Office of Emergency Services, City of San Francisco)
  • Employee Earthquake Preparedness for the Workplace and Home (American Red Cross, Bay Area, 1992)  
  • Guidebook to Identify and Mitigate Seismic Hazards in Buildings (Seismic Safety Commission, 1987)
  • History at Risk - Loma Prieta: Seismic Safety and Historic Buildings (California Preservation Foundation, 1990)
  • Information for Owners of Buildings with Earthquake Damage (East Bay Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, 1989)
  • Living on the Fault Line (California Preservation Foundation, 1990)
  • Living with Seismic Risk (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1976)
  • The Loma Prieta Quake: What One City Learned (International City Management Association, 1991)
  • Theme Issue: Public Policy, vol. 8, No. 1 (Earthquake Engineering Research Institute)
  • Unreinforced Masonry Buildings and San Jose's Seismic Code (Preservation Action Council of San Jose)
  • Disaster Hits Home (University of California Press)


Comments

Do you know of a good disaster resource or a planning or response success story?  Tell us about it! 

Comments

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Submitted by Phil at: February 25, 2010
I just found this in-dept article on FEMA and their repair or replace policy http://www.adjustersinternational.com/DisasterRecoveryToday/DRTfullinfo.cfm?pdfID=12