b'BEST PRACTICE: The association should hold an annual disaster preparedness day to help resi-dentslearnaboutthecommunitydisasterplanandpracticekeyfunctions.Invitelocal emergency operations center officials to help design the disaster drillsand observe the activity.Simulation ResourcesManysourcesprovidedisastersimulationexercises,includingFEMA,stateandlocalemergency management services, and CAI. The FEMA website has aseries of exercises that community associations can use to improve their disaster planandrecoveryprocess.TheFEMAexercisescanbefoundat:www.fema.gov/emergency-planning-exercises.MostoftheseexercisesincludeaPowerPointpresentationwithfacilitatornotes,which can be modified to suityour situation.SPECIAL NOTE: Some Disasters Arent NaturalToday,communitiesfaceincreasing numbers of other disasters,including mass shootings, bombings, biological weapons attacks,hostage incidents, and terrorist activity in public spaces. The CommunityInstitutes Association Foundation recommendsthatcommunityassocia-tionsalsopreparefornon-naturaldisastersanddevelopappropriatenotificationandresponseplans.These resources may be useful:Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) Initiative https://nsi.ncirc.govBuilding Community Trust: Guide for Community Leadershttps://nsi.ncirc.gov/documents/BCOT_Final.pdfCommunities Against Terrorismhttps://www.slatt.orgActive Shooter Preparednesshttps://www.dhs.gov/active-shooter-preparednessMitigationMitigation is an integral part of disaster preparation because it reduces dam-age, recovery time, and expense. During the planning process, community leadersshould assess infrastructure vulnerabilities, become knowledgeable about federal andstate disaster resources, and identify usefulmitigationactivity.FEMArecommendsthreetypesofmitigationactivityforcommunities to reduce disaster impact: Identify hazards and assess vulnerabilities Minimize damage to critical infrastructure MANAGERS CAN HELP COMMUNITY Use and share mitigation best practices RESIDENTS PREPARE FOR DISASTERBY ENCOURAGING AWARENESS,InsuranceInsurance coverage is a common form of disaster mitigation. Make sure the PREPARATION, AND ACTION.associations insurance coverage is up-to-date and comprehensive enough to cover WHEN A NATURAL DISASTERpotential damage. Ensure that the information that will be needed to file claims isreadily accessible after a disaster.IS IMMINENT, ANDITS TIMEAs part of the associations disaster plan, create a pictorial record (photos or TOIMPLEMENT THE video) of the community, showing infrastructure, residences, common areas, andrecreational facilities. This will be helpful to justify damage claims. COMMUNITY DISASTER PLAN,MANAGERS AND RESIDENTSBESTPRACTICE:MUST BE READY FOR IMPACT.Insurancecoverageisanintegralpartofyour mitigationstrategy. Work withyour insurance provider to conduct a mitigation review of common elements. Continued on following page FSummer 2023 Suncoast Review - 11'