The Town of Brookline invites residents to an upcoming meeting where the Office of Emergency Management will provide an update on the town’s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan.
The Mitigation Plan identifies and prioritizes actions the town can take to mitigate the impacts of natural hazards and climate change. The plan is being updated, and resident participation is a critical element of a holistic plan.
A virtual public meeting will be held on Zoom on Monday, Jan. 9, from noon–1 p.m. Advance registration for the meeting is required and can be completed by visiting www.brooklinema.gov/OEM.
At the meeting, community members can contribute their ideas for making the Town more resilient to natural hazards such as flooding, snowstorms, high winds, and extreme temperatures. Community members will also be able to provide feedback on which natural hazards they feel are most concerning, what areas of the Town are most vulnerable, and what steps the town should take to mitigate these dangers.
This plan is being developed by the Office of Emergency Management and Brookline’s Emergency Management Team. Jamie Caplan Consulting LLC, a Northampton-based firm, is leading this effort on behalf of the Town and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approval, and Town adoption, of the Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan allow the Town to apply for pre- and post-disaster hazard mitigation grant funds.
Brookline developed a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) plan in 2017 that also identified possible actions to mitigate risks to natural hazards and climate change. The Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan will include all of those identified actions still relevant today.
For questions regarding this project, don’t hesitate to contact Cheryl Anne Snyder, Emergency Management Coordinator, Office of Emergency Management, at 617-730-2656 or OEM@brooklinema.gov.
