FLOOD06155

• County: Statewide
• Community: State
• Stream Name: All
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Storms Over the Urban Forest: A Community Guide to Disaster Relief
• Date: 1/1/1994
• Prepared For: State of Colorado
• Prepared By: USFWS
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

1. Public information and education campaigns promoted by the government or interest groups tend
to result in consistent support of mitigation because the message to the public is directed and
controlled by these recognized agencies.

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2. Timing of public information and education programs is important. Have public service
announcements written in advance. Programs are most effective immediately after the occurrence
of a hazardous event, but in addition, frequent messages about the benefits of disaster planning are
influential.

3. Information and educational programs need to assess current levels of information held by the
public in order to design the proper technique for communicating mitigation messages.

4. Inconsistency in media reporting on mitigation have led mitigators to develop carefully considered
media contacts and working relationships with them. This helps prevent misleading or sensational
media coverage.

s. The issue of credibility stems from the need to keep the confidence of the public with well-
executed public information and education efforts.

6. Credibility is enhanced by using communication methods which provide direct contact with the
public. Simple messages are more understandable and are received as more credible.

7. Public information may, in itself, become a primary instrument for disaster mitigation.

C. Rules

Cohesion of mitigation opportunities is assured through rules and regulations. In dealing with government
agencies, rules are a part of the process that must be accepted and understood. Government laws and
measures including codes, ordinances and statutes, as well as non-government agreements and covenants,
are components of the rules dimension. Also, legislation, as well as litigation, enforce or support
mitigation.

1. Rules contain the philosophy, goals and criteria of disaster mitigation. All of these must be
understandable to the public in order to promote citizen participation.

2. Mitigation rules minimize interpretation and contain all administrative procedures for regulation.
This includes roles, exceptions and applications.

3. As experience is gained with mitigation rules and as research presents new knowledge, mitigation
directions can be updated. This process is expedited if rules are designed in two parts. The first
part is the rule itself. The second part details acceptable standards of performance. Rule changes
require governing body approval: standard changes can be done administratively.

4. Among the most important rules are building codes, land use plans, zoning ordinances, and for this
discussion--a city or county tree ordinance. A tree ordinance is critical. Therefore, if a community
does not have a tree ordinance, one should be adopted.

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