Public meeting on BU hazard mitigation plan

Area residents and members of the campus community are invited to attend a meeting on Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania's Disaster Resistant University (DRU) Grant Project Wednesday, March 26, at 8:30 a.m. in the Andruss Library, Schweiker Room.

The meeting, designed to gain information that will help BU plan for long-term risks, is being held to gather public input on the draft hazard mitigation plan.

Across the United States, natural and human-caused disasters have led to increasing levels of deaths, injuries, property damage and interruption of business and government services. Recognizing the impact of potential disasters on the community, BU's Disaster Resistant University Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee is preparing a plan that will not only guide the university toward greater disaster resistance but also be part of ongoing efforts to create a more sustainable university community.

The university's hazard mitigation plan will be prepared according to Federal Emergency Management Agency requirements so BU may be eligible for funding and technical assistance from state and federal hazard mitigation programs. In order to qualify for federal aid for technical assistance and post-disaster funding, the university must comply with the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 and its impending regulations.

The term, "hazard mitigation," refers to actions taken to prevent or reduce long-term risks to life and property. Actions taken in advance of a hazard event are designed to break the cycle of damage, reconstruction and repeated damage. These actions can be long-term, cost-effective means of reducing the risk of loss.

The hazard mitigation planning process consists of:

• Public involvement through a series of meetings.
• Identification of hazards that could affect the university.
• Assessment of the university's vulnerability to these hazards in terms of the number of structures and people affected.
• Identification of mitigation actions that can reduce the risk from these hazards.
• Development of an implementation strategy identifying roles and responsibilities.

At BU, members of the Disaster Resistant University Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee are preparing the plan that will guide the university toward greater disaster resistance and be part of ongoing efforts to create a more sustainable university community. For more information on this initiative, visit BU's Web site at www.bloomu.edu/emergency or contact Robert Klinger, BU DRU project chairperson, at (570) 389-4775.