A meeting to discuss a plan that identifies hazards in Albany County will be held on Wednesday, October 8. The meeting will be held from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Fire Station Number Three located at 2374 Jefferson Street in Laramie.

The purpose of the meeting is to learn about and discuss the hazard mitigation plan, which is a federal requirement that not only helps to identify natural hazard risks, but also explores means to reduce the risks and vulnerabilities to those hazards.

According to Albany County Emergency Management Coordinator Aimee Binning, the mitigation plan helps in identifying specific projects needed in our communities.

“When we have mitigation grants and mitigation funding come around, we can apply for those grants with those projects in place,” adds Binning.

The meeting will include a brief presentation on hazard mitigation planning. The meeting will then be open to discussion on the plan and suggestions of ideas to lessen risks in Albany County. The meeting will also provide an opportunity for people to review and discuss the draft plan as it currently exists.

The last mitigation plan was used to prevent flooding after the 2010 and 2011 flood seasons, says Binning. Projects included improving draining and piping systems as well as upgrading the siren system used to warn people in an emergency.

The public participated in the drafting of the new plan by taking a survey. The survey asked residents of Albany County to identify what risks exist and how they rank their concern for such risks.

The public is encouraged to attend the meeting and share their ideas.

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