Bureau of Recovery & Mitigation - Mitigation Section
The mission of the Mitigation section is to reduce or eliminate the impact of hazards which exist within a community and are a threat to life and property .
Mitigation is the first of the four phases of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Tools and techniques to implement mitigation include land use planning, building codes and enforcement, fire regulations, dam inspection ordinances, and public education.
Examples of hazard mitigation actions:
- protective construction to reinforce a roof to reduce damage from the high winds of a hurricane
- discouraging or preventing construction in floodplains
- adjusting the use of such areas by elevating structures to reduce the chances of flood damage
- clearing pine needles from gutters of a home to reduce ignition from firebrands produced by a wildfire
- constructing a "safe room" in a structure to provide a safe haven from tornadoes
What's New
Wildfire Mitigation in Florida: Land use planning strategies and best development practices (3.2 M)
Major subject areas:
- Fire Ecology and Wildfire Mitigation in Florida
- Community Planning to Reduce Wildfire Risk
- Development Guidelines and Standards for Wildfire Mitigation
- Neighborhood Design for Reduced Wildfire Risk
- Building Construction for Reduced Wildfire Risk
- Landscaping for Wildfire Mitigation
The guide is a product of the latest collaborative effort between the Florida Department of Community Affairs and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Forestry. Jeff Bielling, AICP of the Division of Community Planning, came up with the idea for a comprehensive wildfire mitigation guide and initiated a joint effort with David Halstead of the Division of Emergency Management and Jim Harrell of the Division of Forestry to complete the project. Funding was provided by both agencies.
Although most homes are not located in high-risk areas, all Floridians can be affected by the smoke, highway closures and economic impacts of wildfires. The Wildfire Mitigation in Florida: Land Use Planning Strategies and Best Development Practices guide identifies a number of strategies and best development practices of value to planners, elected officials, developers, landscapers, homeowners and other community leaders with a role to play in wildfire mitigation. The guide consolidates strategies and practices into a single publication that would be of value to all stakeholders in wildland-urban interface areas. Although it is tailored to Florida communities, the concepts may be applied across the nation. The American Planning Association and other national organizations such as the Firewise Program have shown great interest in the guide's potential as a comprehensive wildfire mitigation resource. For more information, contact Cindy Palmer at cynthia.palmer@dca.state.fl.us .
The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program ,
The Flood Mitigation Assistance Program
National Flood Insurance Program
The Local Mitigation Strategy
Working with Communities to Develop Pre-Disaster Plans
