FEMA Fact Sheet

December 2022 1

Private-Public Partnerships Support 

Equitable Outcomes for Risk Reduction

A private-public partnership (P3) for emergency management, as described in the Building 

Private-Public Partnerships guide, provides a forum to consider the risks and needs of 

vulnerable and disadvantaged communities and support the development of data-driven 

strategies for equitable outcomes. 

Disproportionate Risk

Disasters have a disproportionately higher impact on vulnerable and disadvantaged communities as they often 

cannot quickly adapt to changing weather and climate patterns. Many of the vulnerable and disadvantaged 

communities struggle with basic living expenses such as food, housing, healthcare, transportation and access to 

basic community lifelines before a disaster. Many are self-employed, working for minimum wage or are retired with 

pensions near or below the poverty level. Rural populations and many historically disadvantaged communities often 

have limited access to healthcare. Too often the vulnerable and disadvantaged communities are not included in 

resilience building and mitigation plans and strategies. 

A P3, such as Adapt Alaska, can assist jurisdictions in reducing the risk to vulnerable populations, critical 

infrastructure and changing environmental conditions.

Include Local Advocates and Service Provider

Local advocates and service providers for vulnerable and disadvantaged communities are in a good position to 

advise what is needed for mitigating risks pre-disaster and for advising what is needed post-disaster. Include:

 State and federal benefit providers and employers

 Agencies that support housing benefits

 Providers of any form of special or mass transportation or special transport providers

 Healthcare providers to include specialized care providers

 Providers of community lifelines with special emphasis on local providers of lower cost goods and services

 Local non-governmental organizations (NGO) and faith-based organizations
Private-Public Partnerships Support Equitable Outcomes for Risk Reduction

Learn more at fema.gov December 2022 2

A Private-Public Partnership Can Reduce Risk

Here is what an inclusive P3 can do: 

Plan

 Use a baseline such as the social and economic risk and vulnerability profile of the jurisdiction to identify private,

nongovernmental and community stakeholders to include in the planning process.

 Identify the providers of community lifelines and life-sustaining services to include small businesses,

nongovernmental organizations and non-traditional providers of unique goods and services.

Engage

 Build a collaborative planning team that includes representation from vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.

 Engage service and resource providers and local advocates of vulnerable and disadvantaged communities.

 Identify needs and develop strategies for equitable outcomes.

Integrate

 Jointly assess the risks of the vulnerable and disadvantaged communities.

 Establish priorities for building resilience, mitigation, response planning and recovery strategies.

 Jointly develop/update jurisdictional goals, strategies, plans and procedures.

 Jointly apply for mitigation funding opportunities and execute awarded projects.

Assess and Refine

 Confirm membership includes essential service and resource providers and local advocates of vulnerable and

disadvantaged communities. Assess participation.

 Evaluate and measure progress to reduce risk and build resilient equitable outcomes through the following:

o Annual risk and vulnerability analysis;

o Plan harmonization (e.g., emergency operations plan, resilience plan, hazard mitigation plan, recovery plan,

master plan, transportation plan, and land-use plan);

o Implementation of administrative actions such as building codes and land-use actions; and

o Completion of resilience-building projects using mitigation and preparedness grants.