Lead researcher: Skye Howard, Masters Student | (207) 546-6488 | skye.howard@uri.edu

This research will investigate how community-based organizations are involved in emergency management and storm response and recovery in island communities in Maine. Results will help identifying potential barriers to involving these organizations, a key first step to including more of the community in management, response, and recovery, and to increasing local climate resilience.
 
 
  
To help increase the local emergency response capacity of communities, FEMA published The Whole Community Approach framework in 2011. The framework promotes the inclusion of community groups not traditionally considered as emergency services in emergency management and response. These organizations often have communication networks, infrastructure, and personnel that can supplement traditional emergency services during a storm or other crisis event. To understand how the principals and themes of the framework are applied during a real crisis event, and what barriers may exist to involving community-based organizations in emergency management, the following research questions are asked:
 
What roles do community-based organizations play in emergency management planning in Island communities in Maine?
What roles did community-based organizations play in the response to and recovery from the January 2024 storms in Island communities in Maine?
How does this response compare to the principals and themes of the Whole Community Approach?
What barriers exist to engaging community-based organizations in emergency management planning and crisis response in Island communities in Maine?   
   
This research will consist of interviews with emergency managers and responders, and members of community-based organizations in three Maine Island communities; Matinticus, North Haven, and Vinalhaven Islands. 
 
This research is funded by NSF award #2316271
This research is part of the Marine Affairs Coastal Resilience Lab. 
https://web.uri.edu/macrl/.