The Salem Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director (EMD), Craig Lemire, will meet with June Garneau of Mapping and Planning Solutions to work on the required five-year update to the 2018 Salem Hazard Mitigation Plan. The Town and Mapping and Planning Solutions are conducting a series of hazard mitigation meetings to develop the plan over the next few months.

During these public meetings, the Hazard Mitigation Planning Team (HMPT) will address natural, technological, and human-caused hazards such as Inland Flooding, Long-Term Utility Outages, and Transport Accidents; the Team will also determine “Action Items” to help mitigate the effects of these hazards. The Team will also review shelter sites and the need for generators at those sites.

By examining critical infrastructure and key resources, along with past hazards, the Team will establish priorities for future mitigation projects and steps that can be taken to increase public awareness of hazards in general.

As mandated by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, all municipalities must complete a local hazard mitigation plan to qualify for Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) funding should a natural disaster occur. FEMA grants make the planning processes possible.

The HMPT is currently being formed. Salem citizens and any interested stakeholders are invited to participate. The first meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 8, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM via “Zoom”. The public is encouraged to attend all meetings. To be included in the process, all interested parties should contact Craig Lemire, Fire Chief & EMD, by email at clemire@salemnh.gov; interested parties will be added to the Zoom meeting invitation list. Future meetings are scheduled for August 19, September 9, October 7, and November 18. All meetings are scheduled for Mondays from 10 AM to 12 noon.

More information on the hazard mitigation planning process is available from June Garneau at Mapping and Planning Solutions, jgarneau@mappingandplanning.com.