Community Resilience is the ability to prepare for anticipated hazards, adapt to changing conditions, and withstand and recover from disruptions.  Activities, such as disaster preparedness - which includes prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery - are key steps to resilience.

The State of Alaska manages a multi-faceted program, assisting communities and stakeholders on issues related to safety, health, and the interdeendencies of physical infrastructure systems.  The Community Resilience program is part of a broader disaster resilience effort and complements work by others in the public and private sectors.  These programs work together to focus on research, community planning, response guidance, and stakeholder engagement.

The nine core elements of community resilience include:

Local knowledge

Community networks and relationships

Communication

Health

Governance and leadership

Resources

Economic investment

Preparedness, and

Mental outlook

• Ensure appropriate plans: Small Community Emergency Response Plan (SCERP), Continuity of Operations (COOP), and Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) exist and are current.
• Train and exercise your plans to expose gaps or weaknesses in the plan.
• Conduct Risk Assessment
  • Identify Hazards - which hazards might impact your community?
  • Profile hazards events - how bad can it get?
    • Frequency - likelihood
    • Magnitude - strength
    • Extent - location
  • Inventory assets - which community assets will be affected by the hazards?
  • Estimate losses - what are the costs associated with the impacts?
• Identify realistic Mitigation projects to eliminate or reduce the effects of a disaster.
• Add redundancies to critical systems (Water, Sewer, Power, and Fuel delivery) to improve availability to restore capacity.
• Create shared common objectives that have all communal elements (City, Tribe, Corporation) working towards similar goals, which enhances coordination and communication, leading to increased project completion.

Community Resiliency Workshops

The Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) works with communities across Alaska to support preparedness, coordination, and long-term resilience through workshop-based planning and engagement.

DHSEM resiliency workshops are designed to strengthen local preparedness, improve coordination, and support community-led planning for hazards affecting Alaska communities.

Learn more about the workshop opportunities below.

Rural Resiliency Workshops (RRWs)

Community-Based Preparedness for Rural Alaska

Rural Resiliency Workshops (RRWs) are community-based gatherings focused on strengthening emergency preparedness and long-term resilience across Alaska’s rural communities. These workshops bring together Tribal leaders, local governments, emergency responders, and regional partners to discuss local hazards, preparedness, and emergency coordination.

Each workshop is shaped by the communities involved and informed by local priorities, regional concerns, and lived experience. RRWs also support the development and refinement of Small Community Emergency Response Plans (SCERPs) to strengthen preparedness and coordination before emergencies occur.

Learn More About Rural Resiliency Workshops
https://ready.alaska.gov/Plans/RRW

Seismic & Tsunami Outreach Workshops (TOW)

Supporting Community Preparedness for Seismic and Tsunami Hazards

Seismic & Tsunami Outreach Workshops (TOW) help support preparedness for earthquake and tsunami hazards affecting Alaska communities. These workshops bring together local leadership, emergency managers, Tribal organizations, schools, and community partners to discuss local risks, preparedness, planning, and coordination.

Workshop content is tailored to local hazards and community needs, helping communities strengthen awareness, improve preparedness, and support resilience planning related to seismic and tsunami events.

Learn More About Seismic & Tsunami Outreach Workshops

https://ready.alaska.gov/Plans/TOW

• NOAA, U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit: Tools are available to help you manage your climate-related risks and opportunities, and to help guide you in building resilience to extreme events.
• Denali Commission: Established with a specific focus on promoting rural development, and providing power generation, transition facilities, modern communication systems, water and sewer systems, and other infrastructure needs in rural Alaska.
• Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs (DCRA), Community Resilience & Climate Adaptation Programs: DCRA's Community Resilience and Climate Adaptation Programs provide Alaskan communities with technical assistance, tools, training, and funding to become healthier, stronger, and more resilient to natural hazards and to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
• Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHS&EM), Grants Section: you will find the list of grants that DHS&EM administers.
• Grants.gov: Provides a common website for federal agencies to post discretionary funding opportunities and for grantees to find and apply to them. Grants.gov allows organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive grant opportunities from all Federal grant-making agencies. Grants.gov is THE single access point for over 900 grant programs offered by the 26 Federal grant-making agencies.
• General Services Administration (GSA): The GSA manages the federal acquisition and awards processes in 10 online websites which are now being merged into one. This site will become the official U.S. government website for people who make, receive, and manage federal awards.
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Resilience: FEMA Resilience aims to build a culture of preparedness through insurance, mitigation, preparedness, continuity, and grant programs. The organization includes the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration, Grant Programs Directorate, National Continuity Programs, and National Preparedness Directorate.