Welcome to Pala Reservation Emergency Preparedness (PREP). Explore the website to learn about natural hazards, such as flash floods, wildfires, earthquakes, and extreme heat, and how they impact you and your neighborhood. You will learn about your risk and how to protect your home and family.
Online Survey
Completing the PREP Neighborhood Survey will allow you to contribute actively to this project. Your insights will help us identify the hazards of greatest concern and the unique features of each neighborhood.
Hard Copy Survey
If you want a hard copy of the survey, please visit the lobby of the Pala Admin Building.
The Pala Environmental Department (PED) is taking proactive steps to prepare our neighborhoods for the impacts of natural hazards and climate change. With the support of a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) grant, we’ve launched a two-year initiative focused on enhancing the resilience of Pala’s employees, residents, and neighborhoods.
PREP stands for the Pala Reservation Emergency Preparedness Project. PREP entails a comprehensive series of visits to each neighborhood on the reservation, where we will work closely with residents to identify hazardous areas, evacuation routes, and vulnerable residents. The primary focus is to pinpoint specific challenges within each neighborhood and develop tailored strategies to prepare and protect residents, homes, and communities.
The Pala Band of Mission Indians has identified public awareness, education, and preparedness in addressing the threats posed by climate change and natural disasters. The PREP project underscores the tribe’s commitment to enhancing its capacity and resilience in the face of hazards such as extreme heat, flash floods, wildfires, and earthquakes.
The PREP Leadership Team is transforming the extensive 600+ page Pala Hazard Mitigation Plan (go to the Pala Hazardous Mitigation Plan section below to download) into an accessible and informative website that includes:
Visit this page frequently for page updates.
The Pala Hazard Mitigation Plan serves as a vital blueprint for the Pala Band of Mission Indians, outlining strategies to effectively reduce the risks posed by natural hazards. Recognizing the potential devastation caused by disasters, including loss of life, damage to property and infrastructure, and threats to tribal sustainability, the plan includes proactive measures to mitigate these impacts. Hazard mitigation is any action taken to minimize the long-term consequences of hazards such as floods, earthquakes, wildfires, and extreme heat.
Within the Pala Hazard Mitigation Plan, a comprehensive assessment of risks to individuals, property, and the environment posed by possible hazards is included. In addition, the plan details a series of mitigation actions and potential projects that the tribe may take to address the identified risks.
It is crucial to note that tribal governments, alongside local, state, and territorial governments, are required to possess a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved Hazard Mitigation Plan to qualify for non-emergency or pre-disaster mitigation funding. This plan is viable for five years.
The Pala Hazard Mitigation Plan undergoes updates every five years to meet FEMA requirements and reflect current circumstances of the tribe. The 2020 Pala Hazard Mitigation Plan represents the tribe’s third update since the plan’s inception in 2006. Presently, the Pala Environmental Department has submitted a grant application to FEMA for funding to facilitate the 2025 plan update.
