Community leaders need to publicly commit to making their communities safer in the future. This could be in the form of a resolution or announcement to indicate that for the sake of future generations, this generation will commit to doing a smart job of redevelopment. Everyone should be told about the rules and be reassured that steps are being taken to make people, homes and neighborhoods less vulnerable to hazards. Everyone should be advised that those steps will take some time and that people in the worst hit areas should not plan to move back in until a recovery and mitigation plan is developed that will determine how areas can best be safely redeveloped.
Comment
Each community can make a commitment in its own way. However, the most effective approach is a formal vote by the community’s governing board. This shows support from the top. The commitment should explain what the community will be doing and what individual residents can do.