Berkshire County Boards of Health Association (BCBOHA), and the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Coalition in Berkshire County, with funding from the Western Region Homeland Security Advisory Councl (WRHSAC), created Equity in Emergency Management Reports for Western Massachusetts, each of its four counties and each of the 101 individual towns and cities in Western Mass.
Click here for the county reports and overview.
Click here for the individual municipal reports.
These reports give an overview of the hazards and vulnerabilities facing the region as well as a reminder of the diverse range in every community of individuals with access and functional needs that are likely to require additional help in emergencies.
The municipal level reports provide a snapshot of each community and the people who are most likely to require more help in emergencies. The data contained in these reports are from official sources (e.g., US Census), which can change frequently and have a wide margin of error. Despite challenges in data collection, these numbers indicate a significant number of individuals in every community that will need additional assistance in emergencies due to their demographics, location, or circumstances such as living alone, with a disability, on low income, or with little English proficiency.
Disasters and pandemics are not new and impact everyone, yet their consequences vary significantly depending on the demographic, socioeconomic, historical, and cultural attributes of a community. It is crucial for emergency management planning, response, and recovery to take these differences into account, recognizing the roles they play in shaping how a community or region responds to an emergency. The Federal Emergency Management Agency in its latest Strategic Plan (2022–2026 FEMA Strategic Plan | FEMA.gov), has acknowledged the importance of equity in emergency management and response, making it one of their primary goals.
These last few years have shown us that emergencies can happen anywhere at any time. This year we have already seen multiple weather-related emergencies, including extreme heat and humidity, tornado threats, and severe flooding, and we are on track to have more of the same. Respiratory viruses are again having a summer surge to complicate and make every emergency more dangerous to health and safety. The people most impacted will tend to be individuals and families with the most daily living challenges and the fewest resources, including older adults, the very young, and those living with disabilities, on low incomes, or alone. These reports will help officials and first responders better prepare to provide necessary services.
WRHSAC Equity Project Overview and County Reports
WRHSAC Equity Project Western Mass Data Overview
WRHSAC Equity Project Berkshire County Data Report
WRHSAC Equity Project Franklin County Data Report
WRHSAC Equity Project Hampden County Data Report
WRHSAC Equity Project Hampshire County Data Report
WRHSAC Equity Project Individual Municipal Reports
Click on the dropdown arrow to access municipal reports.
