Brighton Township has adopted Livingston County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan, making it the last local unit of government to do so.

The township’s Board of Trustees on Monday unanimously approved a resolution adopting the plan, which identifies actions that must be taken to reduce the effect of potential hazards that threaten the county. The plan coordinates the actions for all 20 local units of government so that all persons involved in emergency management functions are directing their actions from the same base of understanding.

The formal approval of the plan by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is contingent on the adoption of the plan by all participating jurisdictions, making Brighton Township’s recent adoption as the last community to do so a necessary part in moving forward. Eligibility for hazard mitigation grants is also reportedly contingent upon local jurisdictions’ adoption of a supporting resolution.

The Hazard Mitigation Plan identifies various types of hazards, including those caused by the natural environment, technology and humans, and analyzes them to determine the degree of threat or vulnerability each poses. Also listed are goals, objectives and strategies for hazard mitigation in each community, taking their resources, assets and other relevant factors into consideration. In addition to reducing the community’s vulnerability to disasters, creators say the document can help speed up the return to normalcy for affected areas and increases credibility for hazard mitigation programs and projects.

The county’s Hazard Mitigation Plan can be viewed at the link below. (DK)