Saco, Maine Named Project Impact Star Community
Star Communities Exemplify the Spirit of Disaster Prevention
Release Date: November 17, 2000
Release Number: R1-00-59
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Washington, DC -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has named Saco, Maine, one of ten Project Impact Star Communities. Saco received the award for their work in educating the community about mitigation measures that can be taken to prevent damage from flood, hurricane and winter weather.
The Project Impact Star Communities award is given out annually to ten communities that exemplify the sprit, innovation and commitment necessary to be a successful Project Impact community. FEMA's Project Impact: Building Disaster Resistant Communities aims to educate all Americans about the importance of disaster damage prevention.
"Project Impact is about saving lives, protecting property, protecting the economic and social fabric of communities and saving citizens the heartache of disaster," said FEMA Director James L Witt. "Communities like Saco are making great strides in educating and protecting its residents from disasters and shine as an inspiration for other communities to follow."
Saco has taken actions to safeguard the community from the dangers of flooding, hurricanes and winter weather including:
- Prepared an "All Hazard Mitigation Plan" with short and long-term risk reduction activities identified;
- Changed the storm design level from a 25-year to 50-year level;
- Prepared a "Standard Specification" manual for all new and existing developers;
- Updated the community's comprehensive plan with references about mitigation and the protection of environmentally sensitive areas, especially wetlands and ravines/water courses;
- Prepared a time delineation schedule for hurricane activities;
- Developed a sanitary sewer response plan; and
- Enacted a snow and ice control policy.
"We are pleased to recognize Saco as a Project Impact Star Community," said Setti D. Warren, regional director for FEMA's Region I, which includes Maine. "Saco exemplifies what every community can achieve when it works together to reduce the devastating effects of disasters."
Other communities receiving the 2000 Project Impact Star Communities Award include:
- Culebra, Puerto Rico
- Roanoke, VA
- Charleston County, SC
- Urbana, IL
- Ouachita Parish, LA
- Denison, IA
- Morgan County, CO
- Sparks, NV
- Kenai Peninsula Borough/Soldotna, AK
The Project Impact Star Communities were recognized on November 15th at the Project Impact Summit 2000 - an annual event that gathers representatives from cities, towns, state governments, voluntary agencies and corporations to celebrate efforts to inform American's about disaster prevention measures. The third annual Project Impact Summit was held in Washington, DC on November 12-16, 2000 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.
Since its inception in 1997, nearly 250 communities and 2,500 business partners have embraced Project Impact. Instead of waiting for disasters to occur, Project Impact communities initiate mentoring relationships, private and public partnerships, public outreach and disaster mitigation projects to reduce damage from potentially devastating disasters. Previous community projects have included creating disaster resistance strategies, revising local building and land use codes, and passing bond issues to construct prevention measures that will impact the entire community.
For more information about Project Impact or preventing damage, call Paul Ford, Region I Project Impact Coordinator at (617) 223-9556.
Last Modified: Friday, 31-Oct-2003 09:08:50