Hazard Mitigation Planning in COVID's "New Normal"

It has been more than two months since my last installment. As any reader of this blog will fully understand, these are unique times for every human being on the planet.  Employment, education, our national economies, and nearly every other aspect of day-to-day life have been changed—perhaps forever—by the need to protect ourselves, our homes and businesses, our families and our livelihoods from the virus.  You can see the numbers for yourself and compare them with other maps from the Johns Hopkins University that I’ve posted earlier.

Source JHU, screencap 7-27-20

And yet the first hurricanes of the season have made landfall in the US.  Earthquakes continue to rattle Alaska and Puerto Rico.  Flooding and Midwest storms are a constant threat.  So how do we prepare to meet these familiar threats within the context of a global health crisis?  FEMA’s own recommendations for hazard mitigation planning have had to incorporate the current reality of the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/188454

The recommendations begin with an admonition to build “a team with expertise across relevant disciplines (e.g., Emergency Managers, Public Safety representatives, healthcare professionals, public health officials, etc.) to assist in planning the workshop sessions and to participate in the discussions.” This makes sense, given that—more than ever before—the team approach to hazmat planning will result in the best and safest outcome for all.

The key points related to the process as it will have to be modified for COVID-19 include the following, all highlighted on the FEMA pages linked above. Specifically (paraphrased and excerpted from FEMA):

·       Review and modify your mitigation and response plans to align with pandemic guidance, to include social distancing limitations, travel restrictions, fiscal impacts, reduction of government services, and potential impacts to your supply chain.

·       Note applicable legal requirements, such as federal civil rights laws, to include special considerations for people with disabilities, individuals with limited English proficiency, and others with access and functional needs in a pandemic environment.

·       Update your continuity of operations (COOP) plans to continue essential functions and tasks with little to no interruption.

·       Plan for alternative implementation of critical actions should available resources and/or personnel are limited due to pandemic operations.  The use of alternate communications and information technology could support and operate your emergency operations centers virtually.

·       Incorporate the current recommendations related to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), social/physical distancing, stay at home orders or other guidance.  Purchase and stockpile appropriate PPE for personnel required to be in the field, including shelter management and shelter personnel.

·       Modify your evacuation plan to account for limited travel options and hotel availability, increased need for health and medical evacuations, financial limitations of the general public, and additional impacts from a pandemic.

A recent article in MIT’s Technology Review highlights what many are calling the “new normal.”  They note that, “the pandemic has unleashed a world of uncertainty. It can feel challenging to envision what the next month will bring, let alone the next year. How do you proceed? We believe a few guiding principles can help leaders chart their path through the pandemic and beyond:”

·       Plan for the unthinkable. “Unthinkable” scenarios are no longer dismissible; they should be a core part of your strategic planning process.

·       Scan—and wait. We will likely see huge swings in public-health outcomes, economic recoveries, investor sentiment, political stability, public policy responses, and more. Continuously monitor the situation and scan widely, identifying the important metrics and tipping points for your organization.

·       Be flexible—and move quickly. The challenge is to build flexibility, so you can move quickly when the time is right. Changes catalyzed by the crisis should facilitate this, whether the move from physical to virtual or the creation of more flexible supply chains.

“Adopting these shifts will not only help you weather the crisis; it might also give you more flexibility to respond quickly in the world that lies beyond it.”