Like all other communities, Hesperia could face widespread devastation during a natural disaster. While no community can completely protect itself against all potentially hazardous situations, the HMP will help identify those situations, assess our current provisions, and outline a strategy to lessen the vulnerability and severity of future disasters. Your responses to the survey will inform the preparation of the plan.

HMP Updating Process

Once the Risk Assessment and mitigation strategies are updated, the HMP Planning Team will update all information, data, and associated narratives into an Administrative Draft HMP and will prepare all sections in accordance with DMA 2000, FEMA’s 44 CFR Part 201 and 206, and any new HMP Guidance from Cal OES hazard mitigation reviewers.  The updating process will involve:

• Reviewing and Evaluating the Existing Hazard Mitigation Plan: Assess how well it has achieved its goals and objectives, addressed the hazards and risks, and implemented the mitigation actions. Identify any gaps, weaknesses, or challenges that need to be addressed in the update. Various methods, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or performance indicators, can be used to evaluate the plan. View the 2017 Hazard Mitigation Plan here.
• Updating the HMP Planning Process:  Revisit the roles and responsibilities of the planning team, the stakeholders, and the public. Update the timeline, budget, and resources for the plan update. Ensure that the planning process is inclusive, collaborative, and transparent and complies with the federal, state, and local requirements for hazard mitigation planning. 
• Updating the Risk Assessment : Collect and analyze the latest data and information on the hazards, vulnerabilities, and exposures that affect our community. Consider any new or emerging hazards, such as climate change. Use appropriate methods and tools, such as hazard maps, risk matrices, or loss estimation models, to quantify and prioritize the risks.
• Updating the Mitigation Strategy:  Review and revise the City's vision, goals, and objectives for hazard mitigation in our community. Evaluate and prioritize the mitigation actions the City has implemented, planned, or proposed. Consider the effectiveness, feasibility, cost-benefit, and co-benefits of each action. Identify any new or additional actions that are needed to address the updated risks.
  
• Updating the Plan Maintenance Process: Define and document how the progress and performance of the plan will be monitored, evaluated, and reported. Establish and communicate the frequency of the plan update, such as every five years. Describe how the plan will coordinate and integrate with other relevant plans and policies, such as emergency management, land use, or climate action.

Once all sections are completed, The HMP Planning Team will compile the plan into an Administrative Draft HMP and submit to the HMP Planning Committee for review.  After the two-week City Review Period, the HMP Planning Team will incorporate any comments to prepare the Public Review Draft.

Plan Review and Revision

Once the Public Review Draft is completed, it will be available for public review and comment on the City's Hazard Mitigation page. Hard copies are also available upon request through the City Clerk's Office.

After the public review and comment period, the Planning Team will compile all comments received on the Public Review Draft for inclusion as an Appendix item and revise the HMP, as necessary. The HMP Planning Team will finalize the HMP and complete the new FEMA Plan Review Tool Reference Document, and submit the plan to Cal OES for State review and approval. Once approved at the State level, Cal OES will submit to FEMA Region IX requesting federal approval.

Important to Note: The state and federal approval process could take more than 45 Days, depending on the availability of review staff.

Plan Adoption and Submittal

Once Cal OES and FEMA approval is received, the HMP Project Management Team will prepare the final HMP for review by the City and will complete any resulting revisions required and prepare the Final HMP adoption.  After HMP adoption, the City will compile supporting documentation (e.g., official resolution) as part of the Final Draft to be distributed to Planning Committee members, as well as all required local, state, and federal agencies.