How the (New Jersey) State Get Funding For Critical Mitigation Projects and Federal Agencies Involvement

Various organizations, including the federal government, sovereign states, public coffers, grants, and contributions, can provide the state with money for essential mitigation programs. Since they assist in preventing disasters that could end up costing these organizations significantly more, mitigation initiatives frequently draw interest from a variety of sources. For instance, considering that it is much simpler to prepare for the disaster in advance than to start running up and down to fix the damage, the Red Cross and the United Nations are likely to finance mitigation programs for hurricane-related disasters in my state, and undertake rescue efforts. The federal government on the other hand often shows its support for the state through the federal emergency Management Agency which is under the Department of Homeland Security. FEMA is charged with the coordination of mitigation efforts on disasters that are beyond the state’s local resources at the request of the governor (Fema.gov, 2017). The federal agencies do not have to be involved in funding state-controlled projects, these are entirely within the state’s mandate. However, they can are responsible for the maintenance of their facilities that may be operational in the state. As a matter of fact, whenever a federal government facility is involved in a disaster that warrants mitigation or upgrading, it is the federal government that handles the matter and forms one scenario where the governor’s official request to the department of homeland security is not necessary to initiate federal action.

Support for mitigation policy and focusing event in New Jersey

I would develop support for the mitigation policy in my state through methods such as public awareness, civil education, and incorporation in the school curriculum and through online platforms that are tailored to the state. Public awareness creation is critical in mitigation efforts which involve prevention and damage reduction. The prevention part is important and often successful where the public is informed on what to do and how to behave in the event that a disaster happens. Public support is the single formidable aspect that can boost the acceptance and success of the state’s mitigation policy. This awareness can be created through online platforms such as blogs and dedicated websites, integrated education systems in which children are taught about disaster preparedness and management from a young age, and civil education that is often delivered to the populace of the state by the government via brochures and state funded campaigns (Jerolleman & Kiefer, 2012).

The focusing even that could be used to educate legislators and the public is hurricane Sandy which occurred in the year 2012. It was the deadliest and most costly hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season. As a matter of fact, it is considered the second costliest hurricane after Katrina. Numerous people were killed and property in millions destroyed and the storm was predicted to recur in approximately 550 years (Shrestha, 2014). One of the main cause of the lives lost was the slow reaction of the public to the warnings of the coast guards. Additionally, the state of New Jersey did not have any specific widespread prevention measures against the storm such as adaptable light housing that would not be adversely affected or result in heavy losses (CDC, 2013). From this event, the legislators, public, and state should have learned the need for preparedness and the potential benefits of mitigation measures.

References

CDC. (2013, May 24). Deaths Associated with Hurricane Sandy — October–November 2012.

Retrieved July 22, 2016, from Centres for disease control and prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6220a1.htm

Fema.gov. (2017, April 1). Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Retrieved from fema.gov: https://www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-grant-program

Jerolleman, A., & Kiefer, J. J. (2012). Natural Hazard Mitigation. Boca Raton: CRC Press; 1 edition.

Shrestha, P. J. (2014). Estimating the Storm Surge Recurrence Interval for Hurricane Sandy.

World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2014. In Estimating the Storm Surge Recurrence Interval for Hurricane Sandy. World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2014 (pp. 1906-1915.). American Society of Civil Engineers. Retrieved from http://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/9780784413548.191