Natural Hazard Observer Nov 2005

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The Private Sector's Take on Government Myth: The public sector isn't interested in the needs of . business. Reality: Government understands the need for the busi- ness community to participate and represent their own needs in policy making. Without input from the business community, government may make ill- informed decisions and important issues may get pushed to the side. 0 6 Myth: Government has its disaster bases covered. Reality: Government is expected to have their bases cov- ered in response, but less so in mitigation, pre- paredness, and recovery. Since the private sector spends more time on predisaster planning, it is a good resource for government to turn to for ad- dressing a community's predisaster needs. Myth: Federal assistance will be available to assist busi- nesses when something happens. Reality: While money will be available, businesses will have to meet certain criteria to receive it (and it won't be enough to put things back the way they were). This myth has been the reason why some businesses don't take action to prepare. Needless to say, it isn't enough of a safety net to justify in- action. Once they can get past these misconceptions, the pub- lic and private sectors can begin moving forward on de- veloping partnerships. Of great benefit to communities are these new relationships, the two -way communication that is fostered, and the resulting long -term disaster reduction programs. A Personal Perspective My personal experience with public - private partner- ships comes from directing Seattle Project Impact, a Fed- eral Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) initiative that provided seed money to local communities, specifi- cally geared toward mitigation, to try to break the disas- ter- repair - disaster cycle. In Seattle, we took the federal model a step further by building long -term, sustainable programs that could be first institutionalized and then ex- ported to other cities, counties, states, or countries with similar needs. In turn, we have benefited from other communities sharing their ideas and experiences with us. We strongly believe in sharing information so as to avoid recreating the wheel. In Seattle, we take a broader approach to defining the public - private partnership that incorporates the entire community. Our partners include local, state, and federal government; small and large businesses; academicians; scientists; neighborhood organizations; volunteer groups; researchers; educators; media; and many others. Every- one has an equal say; all are respected. There's always room for new partners to bring unique perspectives, and by not limiting participation, new ideas are inspired. Beginning in 1997, our partnership created four miti- gation programs that are still going strong today: Hazard Mapping, Regional Home Retrofit, School Retrofit, and Disaster Resistant Businesses. Hazard Mapping has be- come the foundation upon which all the other programs are built. If people don't understand the risk, they will see no value in mitigation. Hazard Mapping partners have been instrumental in providing us with the most current information about our local risks. We use this information as the basis for public education, which includes resources and information provided by partners on how residents can best protect themselves (e.g., retrofitting). We have learned a lot about our hazards in the last eight years. This information has facilitated, and will con- tinue to do so, better decision making by planners, elected officials, and members of the business community. Our partners from the U.S. Geological Survey and the Univer- sity of Washington, private consultants, GIS staff, hazard researchers, and other scientists have helped us build the case for action. Conclusion By sharing the responsibility of a community's all - hazards preparedness, community partnerships have be- come the key to successful emergency management pro- grams. Government will never have enough resources or money to mitigate alone, but businesses and other mem- bers of a community can become more involved and make a difference. Every level and individual in a community is ultimately responsible for their community's resilience, first by taking care of themselves and their family, then by participating in taking their community to the next level of readiness. Many hands can move the immovable, and since we're in this together, let's begin building our community legacy today. Ines Pearce (ines.pearce @seattle.gov) Seattle Emergency Management Internet Resources http: / /www.seattle.govlprojectimpactl Seattle Project Impact http: //www.seattle.gov/emergency_ mgt/ Seattle Emergency Management 21 Natural Hazards Observer November 2005