CATSKILL - Neither is ever wanted but both will be willingly and wisely done as Greene County Legislature members approved contracts for disaster-related Damage Assessment and Recovery Plans.
Lawmakers, during a recent meeting, agreed to separate but related pacts with Crawford & Associates for the tasks at the behest of the county Department of Emergency Services.
The firm, based in Cumberland, Rhode Island, will be paid $21,875 and $34,375, respectively, using a mix of funds from an Emergency Management Performance grant and department operations.
A Damage Assessment Plan, according to the contract, will:
—Utilize the six-step planning process, which includes: Develop a Planning Team, Understand the Situation, Determine Goals & Objectives, Develop the Plan, Prepare, Review and Approve the Plan and Implementation and Plan Maintenance;
—Utilize the Whole Community approach to ensure the Damage Assessment Plan incorporates input from county government
departments, public health, public works, highway departments, sheriff's office, planning/GIS, and others as determined by the planning team;
—Define damage assessment methods including self-reporting, windshield surveys, site assessments. GIS and others as identified by the planning team following disasters affecting the county;
—Define roles & responsibilities of local, county, state and federal partners used in damage assessment;
—Identify processes for conducting post-disaster damage assessments, including coordination with local government departments and DHSES to support disaster declarations and federal assistance programs;
—Where needed, utilize tools such as Smartsheet surveys to gather input from local governments, public safety partners, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and residents regarding damage assessment processes.
Consider the use of WebEOC or other solutions to support the plan.
The county’s Recovery Plan, according to the contract, will similarly:
—Utilize the six-step planning process, which includes: Develop a Planning Team, Understand the Situation, Determine Goals & Objectives, Develop the Plan, Prepare, Review and Approve the Plan, Implementation and Plan Maintenance.
—Utilize the Whole Community approach to ensure the recovery plan incorporates input from county government departments, public health, public works, housing authorities, school districts, nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, and private sector partners.
Further, the Recovery Plan will:
—Establish a County Recovery Organization (CRO) structure that defines leadership roles such as a Recovery Coordinator/Recovery Manager and
Recovery Support Function (RSF) leads aligned with state and federal recovery frameworks;
—Align the plan with the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) and identify the applicable Recovery Support Functions such as Community Planning & Capacity, Building, Economic Recovery, Health &
Social Services, Housing, Infrastructure Systems, Government Services, and Natural & Cultural Resources;
—Define short-term, intermediate, and long-term recovery priorities to guide recovery operations following disasters affecting the
county;
—Identify recovery coordination processes between the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), county leadership, municipal
governments, and regional/state recovery partners;
—Identify processes for conducting post-disaster damage assessments, including coordination with local government departments and DHSES to support disaster declarations and federal assistance programs;
—Define procedures for public information and community engagement during recovery, including community meetings, public input sessions, and coordination with public information officers to communicate recovery resources and timelines;
—Identify potential Recovery Support Centers or Disaster Recovery Centers that may be used to provide recovery assistance to residents and businesses;
—Where needed, utilize tools such as Smartsheet surveys to g