FEMA Region 3 Coffee Breaks Webinar Series

FEMA Region 3 hosts a webinar series for anyone who wants to reduce risk in their community. These hour-long “Coffee Breaks” are held every other month. They share mitigation best practices and highlight the work happening at the federal, regional, state and community levels to reduce risk in Region 3. Coffee Break webinars are open to anyone in the hazard mitigation, resiliency or risk reduction planning fields. This work can be in the public or private sectors. Community planners, emergency and floodplain managers, GIS technicians, government officials, and contractors  – or anyone interested – is welcome to attend. 

Upcoming Coffee Breaks
Webinar titles, descriptions, and dates are subject to change.

    • Increasing Resilience through Land Use Planning and Building Codes
      January 18, 2023 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time
      Land use planning and building codes can greatly reduce the risks of natural hazards. FEMA’s new National Initiative to Advance Building Codes gives communities a greater incentive to adopt and enforce stronger codes. This webinar will share ways to get decision makers and local planning partners on board.

    • Discovering Mitigation Alternatives
      March 22, 2023 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time
      Hazard mitigation plans outline future projects to help communities avoid disaster impacts. Your plan’s mitigation actions should be kept up-to-date to ensure public, government and political support. This webinar will explore how the planning team can determine mitigation actions are best for the identified risk, align with community goals and identify capabilities that are needed to be successful.

    • Refining Your Hazard Mitigation Plan’s Scope of Work
      May 17, 2023 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time
      Many questions will arise when writing the scope of work for your next hazard mitigation plan update. Do I need contract support? What is my budget? Am I applying for funding? This webinar explores how to set expectations in your scope of work for the plan developer, state planner, FEMA reviewer, and most importantly— your community.

    • Planning for Climate Change Impacts
      July 19, 2023 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time
      Communities in FEMA Region 3 are no strangers to the effects of climate change on the frequency and severity of natural disasters. In 2020 alone, 22 disasters brought losses of over $1 billion across the U.S. During this webinar, you will learn about how FEMA is planning for climate change, mitigation best practices, and funding opportunities.

    • Exploring the Hazard Mitigation Planning Process
      September 20, 2023 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time
      Developing a hazard mitigation plan may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. FEMA’s guidance materials can help you create a plan that protects people and property during future events. This webinar introduces the hazard mitigation planning process, from organization to adoption. It also provides suggestions to make each step run smoothly.
    • Conducting a Risk Assessment
      November 8, 2023 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time
      When creating a hazard mitigation plan, the risk assessment details the hazards that your community faces. Documenting the geographies, populations and critical facilities at risk will help you identify ways to promote resilience. This webinar will guide you through the risk assessment process.

For more information, please contact Mari Radford.