Clark County and area emergency managers are asking community members to participate in a survey through Aug. 31 to gather public input on the top hazards Southern Nevada faces and to support community resiliency. The 11-question survey is part of a joint effort to update the County’s Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP). It’s available here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ClarkCountyMJHMP2023/.
The County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan is updated every five years in cooperation with the cities of Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Mesquite, the Las Vegas Band of Paiutes, the Moapa Band of Paiutes, the Clark County School District (CCSD), the Clark County Water Reclamation District (CCWRD), Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Las Vegas Valley Water District. It’s an opportunity to re-assess risks posed by natural, technological, and human-caused disasters and identify ways to mitigate those risks. The planning process will result in an update to the County’s plan in 2023.
“We encourage countywide participation in the survey among our residents and businesses in rural and urban areas of our community,” said Clark County Deputy Fire Chief Billy Samuels, who oversees the Fire Department’s Office of Emergency Management. “The survey also will tell us about the state of preparedness among our residents so we can work to address needs as part of our future hazard mitigation planning.”
The top hazards identified during past updates have been communicable disease, wildfire, flooding, earthquake and extreme heat. Power outages also can be sporadic concerns. Participation in the survey is anonymous. Through the survey, Southern Nevadans can share which hazards they believe have the greatest impact on the community. Survey responses will provide planners insight into public preferences and valuable knowledge about the needs of vulnerable populations. The goal is to ensure that those who may be disproportionately affected by disasters are accounted for in the update of the plan.
The Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires Hazard Mitigation Plan updates for communities to remain eligible to continue to receive certain forms of non-emergency disaster assistance. Requirements for the updates also are set by the State of Nevada and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The County’s existing 2018 MJHMP can be found on the Fire Department’s Office of Emergency Management website pages at https://tinyurl.com/5n69k2f5. A draft of the 2023 MJHMP is expected to be posted for public review in late spring 2023.