Westmoreland County’s Department of Public Safety invites the public to participate in updating the countywide Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP). The County will hold its next Hazard Mitigation Planning Workshop on Wednesday, April 30, 2014 from 9:00am – 12:00pm. The workshop will be held at the Westmoreland County Court House Annex, in the Senior Judges Court Room on the 4th Floor. Residents, local officials, industry representatives, educators, and others are encouraged to attend. Parking is available at the Robert Bell Parking Garage on Otterman Street, or metered lots are available: http://www.co.westmoreland.pa.us/index.aspx?NID=317.

Background information about the plan is now on the Westmoreland County Hazard Mitigation Planning website at: www.westmorelandhmp.com. This site includes an online hazard awareness survey, and will include sections of the Draft Plan as it becomes available. The public is encouraged to visit the site, take the online survey, review the Draft Plan and provide input on the HMP planning process.

Westmoreland County is in the process of updating its 2009 All-Hazards Mitigation Plan to ensure eligibility for future mitigation funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This detailed plan addresses a variety of potential natural and non-natural hazards that could affect some or all of the county’s residents.

“The update of this plan will allow the county and its participating municipalities to continue be eligible for future mitigation funding from FEMA,” said Hazard Mitigation Officer, Chris Tantlinger. “We’re very eager to get the public’s input to help us create a detailed plan that will address a variety of potential hazards that could affect some or all of our citizens.”

For more information, contact Chris Tantlinger at the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety at 724-600-7349 or [email protected]