Pierce County Emergency Management hosted a two-day workshop on threat and hazard identification on Tuesday, May 1 and Wednesday, May 2, 2019 in Tacoma, WA.

Recently, regulatory and grant requirements for emergency planning and threat and hazard identification and risk assessments have expanded to build our nation's resilience. A few examples include:

• Centers for Medicaid and Medicare https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertEmergPrep/index.html
• Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 https://www.epa.gov/waterresilience/americas-water-infrastructure-act-2018-risk-assessments-and-emergency-response-plans
• Homeland Security Grant Program https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/178291
• Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 https://www.fema.gov/disaster-recovery-reform-act-2018

The workshop provided the opportunity to:

• Learn about local, State, and Federal hazard programs, capabilities, and funding sources.
• Share and discuss what we know about hazard impacts with subject matter experts.
• Pilot a standardized approach that uses common language around threats and hazards.
• Kick-off the update to the Pierce County Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA).
• Begin thinking about and identifying mitigation strategies.