Robert Lawrence
Senior Regional EM Planner

The update to the city of Franklin All-Hazard Mitigation Plan is now available for public review and comment until June 30, 2011. This plan update was facilitated by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) and is required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for mitigation of natural hazards and to be eligible for post-disaster funding. Mitigation plans are the foundation for effective hazard mitigation. A sound mitigation plan is a demonstration of the commitment to reduce risks from natural hazards and serves as a strategic guide for decision makers as they commit resources. The major components of the plan updates include the Goals and Objectives, Hazard Identification and Risk Analysis (HIRA), Vulnerability Analysis, and Mitigation Action Plans. The Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee (HMPC), made up of local city officials, HRPDC staff and subject matter experts, reviewed and updated the plan as was written and adopted in 2006. Previous public comment opportunities included two public meetings (March 22 and June 1) and an on-line survey tool. The Franklin plan update was funded with 75% Federal funds administered by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) through the HRPDC. HRPDC tracked in-kind activity to completely meet the 25% local match requirement that allowed the update to occur at no extra budget expense to the city of Franklin.  To review and comment on the 2011 City of Franklin All-Hazard Mitigation Plan Update visit: http://remtac.org/mitigation/Franklin.aspx