Volunteers are one of the most versatile and cost-effective resources in disaster response and recovery, however they come with a big caveat – when not managed properly, they can escalate an already dangerous and chaotic situation by overwhelming first-responders and putting themselves and others in danger. Public safety officials can relieve some of the resulting… Read more
Volunteer credentialing is a required component of utilizing volunteers in any disaster scenario for all localities, even at the most basic level. An effective credentialing system allows management to triage and use volunteers properly during response and recovery from a disaster. Yet this process starts well before a disaster hits. Engaging volunteers throughout preparation and planning… Read more
Volunteers are one of the most versatile and cost-effective resources in disaster response and recovery, but it is impossible to predict exactly to what extent volunteers and resources will be affected by a disaster. Accordingly, city managers and county administrators must be prepared to call on help from surrounding communities by having mutual aid agreements… Read more
Volunteers are one of the most versatile and cost-effective resources in disaster response and recovery, however they come with a big caveat – when not managed properly, they can escalate an already dangerous and chaotic situation by overwhelming first-responders and putting themselves and others in danger. The finance and accounting department must take an active… Read more
Grant applicants need to be informed on a regular basis about the process and where they are in it. This helps ensure compliance on behalf of the applicant, but also helps qualm their concerns and builds trust between the applicant and program administrator. Ideally, the same customer service representative will be available to the applicant… Read more
Following a disaster, localities review and revise their disaster plans. This process includes identifying processes that worked and those that did not. Disaster planning is a constant process; localities should schedule disaster plan updates as well as training and drills regularly.
This stage is primarily a forward-looking activity intended to strengthen the community and make it more resilient to future disasters. Localities and all stakeholders can evaluate how well planned efforts performed in the real world, review what took them by surprise and share what they have learned.
Codes and ordinances are tools to guide resilience and should be reviewed and revised by local governments after a disaster to build more resilient infrastructure and buildings that reduce vulnerability from future disasters. Types of codes and ordinances typically considered for revision include building codes and design ordinances; erosion and sediment control and storm water… Read more
Reviewing department policies and staffing is an ongoing process that localities should conduct on a regular basis. This part of the process ensures that localities keep institutional knowledge intact despite changing staff, elected officials and contractors and other third parties.
Accounting closeout occurs when grantees have spent all CDBG-DR funds, or when the contract expires. During this stage, grantees must ensure that all documentation is accurate and demonstrate that all CDBG-DR funds were spent in compliance with program requirements. Grantees should review all records and ensure a system is in place for orderly documentation for… Read more
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