GUAM EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN
AND
GUAM HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN
The Island of Guam, because of its geographic location, is under constant threat of natural and manmade disasters that may cause mass casualty and injuries, loss of real property and damage to our environment.
The Government of Guam has created two plans to ensure effective response and recovery from disasters, as well as a solid strategy for mitigation to reduce risks from future events. The Guam Emergency Response Plan outlines the actions necessary to respond to events, while the Guam Hazard Mitigation Plan (HM Plan) demonstrates Guam’s commitment to reduce risks from natural hazards and serves as a guide for Guam’s decision-makers as they commit resources to reducing the effects of natural hazards.
Effective emergency response plans are critical to ensure that public safety, real property and our environment are protected when a natural or other disaster occurs. The Guam Emergency Response Plan is based on older versions of the Plan and has been updated with consultation from emergency management experts and lessons learned during responses to a variety of threats over the years.
The Island of Guam relies on both technical and other assistance from Federal partners during response to and recovery from events, making close coordination between all parties a necessity.
As a condition of receiving Federal disaster mitigation funds, the Guam Hazard Mitigation Plan must meet the requirements of Section 409 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988 (Stafford Act) and Section 322 of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000).
The HM Plan has been developed by the Hazard Mitigation Advisory Committee of the Civil Defense Advisory Council and is in place.
The Plan describes Guam’s planning process for identifying hazards, risks and vulnerabilities. It also identifies and prioritizes mitigation actions, encouraging the ongoing development and effective implementation of Guam’s specific mitigation strategies and provides technical support for these efforts.
This plan meets all requirements of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988 (Stafford Act) and Section 322 of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000). This includes meeting the requirement the Plan be adopted by the Government of Guam and fulfilling all of the requirements of the Crosswalk (specific criteria used [by] the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to evaluate the Plan.
The Government of Guam will also comply with all applicable Federal statutes and regulations in effect with respect to the periods for which it receives grant funding, in compliance with 44 CFR 13.1 1( c). Furthermore, the Plan will be updated whenever necessary to reflect changes in Guam or Federal laws and statutes, as required in 44 CFR 13.11 (d).
It is imperative that current emergency plans for effective use of all our island’s resources to save lives and reduce human suffering and property loss be maintained and updated.
This Plan, the Guam Emergency Response Plan, will serve as the basis for the execution of all activities on behalf of the Government of Guam in response to all natural, man-made, and technological disaster/emergencies that effect our island community.
