Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness & Hazard

Project News

May 24, 2021 - The Town of Bedford in conjunction with Beals and Thomas, Inc. has released a draft of the combined Hazard Mitigation Plan Update and Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Report (PDF). This Report identifies the top climate hazards facing the Town of Bedford and generates a list of strategies to better protect the community from future hazard events. To learn more about the planning process and findings, a brief 15-minute recorded presentation is available to watch below.

To submit public comment on the draft Report, reach out to Town staff via email, phone, or letter on or before June 15, 2021.

Attn: Jeanette Rebecchi, DPW Transportation Program Manager
Department of Public Works
314 Great Road
Bedford, MA 01730

Email Jeanette Rebecchi
Phone: 781-918-4274

Project Overview

In 2019 the Town of Bedford received a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) grant from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) to update the 2010 Town of Bedford Hazard Mitigation Plan, further assess climate vulnerabilities, and develop an action plan to prepare for current and future climate impacts in Bedford. In December 2019, Town staff, committee members, and community stakeholders were invited to participate in a Community Resilience Building (CRB) Workshop to comment on local climate hazards and develop opportunities for mitigation. In March 2020, the Town of Bedford hosted a community listening session to provide information about these identified climate hazards, and to solicit input on the mitigation actions developed at the CRB Workshop. The results of these meetings were incorporated into a combined Hazard Mitigation Plan update and Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Report. The Report will be submitted to the EEA, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after the three-week public comment period. By becoming a designated MVP community, the Town will be eligible to apply for EEA Action Grants to pursue the identified action items. After the plan is approved by FEMA and MEMA, the Town will also be eligible to apply for hazard mitigation funding from those agencies.