Emergency Management

Emergency Management is the field of dealing with emergencies, especially large human-caused or natural disasters. The field is usually broken into four phases: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. The RRPC plays a role in all of these phases, but we are especially active in the first two, since they more heavily related to planning.

Mitigation involves actions that lessen the likelihood that a disaster will cause damage, or reduce the severity of the damage. We help towns to mitigate the effects of disasters by encouraging disaster-resistant development that keeps homes and businesses out of harm's way, such as avoiding floodplains. We also work with towns to ensure that their infrastructure, especially roads and drainage, will stand up to expected hazards such as heavy rainstorms.

Preparedness activities get towns ready for anticipated disaster events. We help towns to write basic emergency plans, apply for grants for equipment, request training from State and Federal sources and participate in exercises or drills designed to practice response activities and to test operational plans. Having well trained and equipped responders with good plans and plenty of practice is the best way for towns to prepare for those disasters that cannot be reasonably avoided.

During the response phase in the midst of disasters, we generally work from the sidelines, ensuring that Vermont Emergency Management is aware of damages to towns and occasionally working with the media or at the State's Emergency Operations Center. Recovery begins as the immediate response winds down, and our role here involves assisting towns in obtaining and managing federal aid and creating mitigation projects to lessen the damage the next time.

For more assistance, please contact Tara Kelly, Regional Planner II, via telephone 802-775-0871 (ext. 208) or via email at tkelly@rutlandrpc.org.