Emergency Management

ACRPC supports emergency planning initiatives throughout the region for the Preparedness, Response, Recovery, and Mitigation phases of emergency management.

ACRPC Role in Emergency Management

Staff provides support for the Addison County Regional Emergency Management Committee (REMC) and works with first responders and community leaders to improve preparedness, response, and recovery. This includes support with Grants for Hazard Mitigation and Homeland Security.

Hazardous Materials reporting and public information can be found on the state of Vermont’s website for Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)

 

Additional Emergency Preparedness information for Addison County can be found below:

Click Here For A full description of how ACRPC Interacts With State and Local Emergency Planning

ACRPC supports emergency planning initiatives throughout the region for the Preparedness, Response, Recovery, and Mitigation phases of emergency management. Staff provides support for the Addison County Regional Emergency Management Committee (REMC) and works with communities individually as well.

In addressing Preparedness, ACRPC assists communities in developing basic emergency operations plans which address how the community plans to respond to identified risks. Each of our municipalities has an Emergency Management Director whose job it is to coordinate emergency planning efforts. They bring together local fire, EMS, selectboard members, and other interested members of the community to iron out plans and cooperative agreements so, when a disaster hits, the town is better prepared. Recent disasters have pointed out the value of developing these working relationships with those most successful having a history of community leaders working and planning together prior to the event.

ACRPC supports the Response phase of emergency management by serving as a central information collection point in the region for Vermont Emergency Management (VEM) if needed. Using our local contacts, we can reach out to communities who have been hit and help VEM gather critical information. Staff also assists statewide response by serving at the state emergency operations center (SEOC) during times of disaster.

ACRPC helps to coordinate Recovery from disasters by working with both VEM and FEMA officials to bring the maximum amount of recovery assistance to each of our communities. Any time a town can rebuild better than it was, everyone wins. Our transportation planner brings a wealth of knowledge to bear for recovery efforts on town infrastructure. His familiarity with local highway crews through monthly road foreman meetings brings a familiar face to the town when they are approached by State and Federal officials.

Lastly and most important, ACRPC has spearheaded Mitigation planning efforts in the region, first, by developing a region-wide all hazards mitigation plan and more recently by assisting mitigation plan development at the local level. Closely related to other planning efforts, mitigation plans identify a town’s vulnerability to risks and projects that could lessen that vulnerability. Creation and adoption of an all-hazards mitigation plan also assures eligibility to apply for state and federal mitigation funding to implement projects as listed in the plan.

In the emergency management planning process, ACRPC is conscious of all hazards that may affect a community. Whether it be flood, wind, winter storm, chemical spill, or even earthquake, planning ahead will always benefit the residents of Addison County.

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Flood Insurance Rate Map updates

FEMA and USGS are in the process of updating Flood Insurance Rate Maps which define Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA).  Municipalities need to begin working to update their Zoning Bylaws to maintain National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) compliance and Emergency Relief and Assistance Fund (ERAF) post-disaster funding. For more information and resources click below.

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Local Hazard Mitigation Plans

Hazard mitigation planning enables local governments to better protect lives, property, and natural systems. The purpose of mitigation planning is to identify policies and actions that can be implemented over the long term to reduce risk and future losses. Local Hazard Mitigation Plans (LHMP) form the foundation for a community’s long-term strategy to reduce disaster losses and break the cycle of disaster damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage.

Benefits for local governments that have a FEMA-approved LHMP include:

  • A FEMA-approved LHMP is required for local governments that wish to receive federal funds from the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program.
  • The LHMP is also one of the mitigation actions needed to qualify for additional post-disaster funding through the Emergency Relief and Assistance Fund (ERAF).

Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) municipal status and drafts for review can be found at the link below:

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Emergency Management Resources

Important phone numbers:

Other Key Contacts & Resources

State of Vermont Resources

Vermont Emergency Management (VEM)

Phone: (800) 347-0488 or (802) 244-8721

For general non-emergency requests send a non-emergency request to VEM (email address is monitored between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday)

Flood Ready Vermont

State of Vermont statewide Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)

State Emergency Response Commission (SERC)

Local Utility Contact Information

Green Mountain Power Corporation

(website & Facebook page preferred over phone for reporting power outages)

(call center is open Monday-Friday 7:00am to 7:00pm, closed on major holidays)

Vermont Electric Cooperative (parts of Starksboro)

If you require immediate assistance or need to report an outage, please contact control center at 1-800-832-2667

Vermont Gas Systems, Inc.

Hazardous Material Information

To report a Hazardous Material Incident, Call 1-800-641-5005

Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)

Hazmat Compliance Tier II Reporting

  • For questions about Tier II reporting, please contact the Division of Fire Safety.  This email address is monitored between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday

Environmental Protection Agency

Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)

Please contact Emergency Management Planner Andrew L’Roe for additional information.

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