The Disaster Recovery Toolkit provides a plan template, post-disaster checklists, a tabletop exercise, and informational resources to guide local emergency managers through pre-disaster planning and strengthen community resilience.
Map
Local Disaster Recovery Framework and Toolkit
General information
ISIG
Providing planning resources, guidance, and strategies for community resilience.
The North Central Texas Recovery Framework is designed to strengthen community recovery capacity by aligning local jurisdictions with regional partners across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Instead of relying only on post-event improvisation, it provides a shared playbook, grounded in research and best practices,,that clarifies roles, decision pathways, and resource coordination for disaster recovery. By guiding jurisdictions through pre-disaster actions like defining recovery leadership, mapping capabilities, and establishing coordination structures the Framework helps surface vulnerabilities, priorities, and interdependencies that often go unnoticed until a crisis hits. This advance work equips local actors with the plans, relationships, and templates needed to accelerate safe housing, restore services, support businesses and social systems, and protect natural and cultural assets. Through this structured, whole-community approach, the Framework bridges day-to-day local governance with the complexities of long-term recovery, creating a more coherent, informed, and agile system that can transition from response to a “new, better normal” after natural or human-caused disasters.
Status
Topics For Preparedness
Needs Addressed
Communities in North Central Texas faced fragmented and uncoordinated recovery efforts after disasters, with limited tools and guidance for long-term resilience. There was no consistent approach to organizing leadership, leveraging resources, or engaging recovery partners. The Recovery Framework was created to address these gaps by providing a structured methodology and practical toolkit to support comprehensive, community-wide disaster recovery.
The Recovery Framework emphasizes the inclusion of vulnerable populations, such as children, seniors, people with disabilities, low-income households, homelessness, and communities with limited English proficiency, people with specific functional needs, populations at risk of social exclusion.
The governance model of the Recovery Framework is multistakeholder and adaptive. Leadership is ensured by the Local Disaster Recovery Manager (LDRM), who directs recovery operations and liaises with state and federal partners. A Recovery Coordination Task Force oversees Committees and Subcommittees addressing specific recovery areas (economic, housing, health and social services, infrastructure, land use, natural and cultural resources). The Policy Group of elected officials retains decision-making authority, while the model encourages active involvement of private sector, NGOs, and community partners. This flexible governance structure allows jurisdictions to scale and adapt coordination mechanisms depending on the scale and complexity of the disaster.
The Recovery Framework emphasizes proactive pre-disaster preparedness strategies. These include developing local Recovery Plans aligned with emergency operations and hazard mitigation plans, conducting tabletop exercises, and using standardized templates and checklists. Preparedness also focuses on building relationships among government, private sector, and NGOs before disasters occur, ensuring faster coordination and mobilization when an incident happens.
The region has established procedures for infrastructure damage assessments and maintains pre-identified contracts for debris management. Local governments coordinate with private utility providers to restore essential services, while public facilities such as stadiums and community centers can be repurposed to support recovery operations.
Stakeholder engagement ensures that recovery efforts leverage diverse expertise, resources, and capacities across government, private sector, NGOs, and communities. The purpose is to coordinate actions through Committees and Task Forces, promote inclusive and equitable recovery by involving vulnerable groups, and foster shared ownership of long-term resilience strategies.
Stakeholders are engaged through participatory workshops, regional recovery summits, and tabletop exercises. Formal mechanisms include Recovery Committees, Subcommittees, and the Recovery Coordination Task Force, which provide structured platforms for coordination and co-decision-making. Additional methods include community forums, public surveys, and the use of Community Resource Centers to ensure inclusive outreach and participation.
Communities and stakeholders share responsibility and decision-making power through Committees, Subcommittees, and the Recovery Coordination Task Force, ensuring inclusive and co-owned disaster recovery strategies.
The Framework builds durable resilience by institutionalizing recovery leadership (e.g., designated LDRM and a standing coordination task force), standardizing decision paths, and training staff through drills and tabletop exercises that can be repeated and adapted over time. It grows local capability with ready-to-use plan templates, sector checklists, and mutual-aid/MOU models that embed roles, authorities, and resource flows before a crisis. Continuous learning is hard-wired via after-action reviews, capability assessments, and update cycles that translate lessons into revised policies and budgets. Cross-sector engagement public, private, and nonprofit expands problem-solving capacity, while community participation surfaces equity gaps and local knowledge critical to prioritization. Finally, the Framework links recovery governance to long-term planning (housing, land use, infrastructure, health/social services), ensuring that investments, funding strategies, and workforce development compound over time shifting jurisdictions from ad-hoc reaction to confident, evidence-based decision-making.
Hazard Type
Geographical Scope - Nuts
Geographical Scope
Population Size
Population Density
Vulnerable Groups
Governance
Emergency Preparedness
Infrastructure Readiness
Engagement Level
Empowerment Level
Implementation
Flexible organizational structure adaptable to different disaster contexts. Clear leadership role through the Local Disaster Recovery Manager (LDRM). Integration of public, private, and nonprofit partners in recovery planning. Three-phase recovery approach (transition, short-term, long-term). Practical Recovery Toolkit with templates, checklists, and exercises. Establishment of Regional Coordination Committees and local Community Resource Centers.
English
- North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG)
- Local jurisdictions (cities and counties within the region)
- Partner organizations (NGOs, private sector, state and federal agencies)
- North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG)
- Local jurisdictions (cities and counties within the region)
- Partner organizations (NGOs, private sector, state and federal agencies)
- North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG)
- Local jurisdictions (cities and counties within the region)
- State of Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) and FEMA Nongovernmental organizations (e.g., Red Cross, faith-based organizations, community nonprofits)
- Private sector partners (utilities, businesses, chambers of commerce)
- Academic institutions and subject-matter experts
Pre-disaster planning: develop local recovery plans aligned with the Framework; engage key stakeholders. Establish leadership: designate the Local Disaster Recovery Manager (LDRM) and form the Recovery Coordination Task Force. Organize recovery structure: activate Recovery Committees and Subcommittees covering the six recovery areas (economic, health & social services, housing, infrastructure, land use, natural & cultural resources). Deploy tools and resources: apply the Recovery Toolkit (templates, checklists, exercises) and establish Community Resource Centers if needed. Coordinate regionally: create Regional Coordination Committees to share progress and resources across jurisdictions. Monitor and adapt: track recovery progress, update Recovery Action Plans, and transition into long-term recovery strategies.
Human resources, financial, technical resource, infrastructure and logistical resources
- Response: immediate life-safety and incident control; gather initial impact info and identify critical recovery priorities. Outcomes: life-safety measures largely complete, threat contained, initial impact assessment done, immediate recovery objectives identified.
- Transition: complete life-safety ops, conduct damage assessments, reestablish lifelines/critical infrastructure to allow safe re-entry, activate the Recovery Organization and begin recovery action planning. Outcomes: damage assessments largely complete; lifelines partially or fully re-established; critical infrastructure repaired/in progress; key recovery staff positions activated.
- Short-Term Recovery: first steps to reestablish normal daily functions focused on immediate survivor needs (e.g., reunification, food, shelter) and repair/rebuild where possible under an operational Recovery Organization. Outcomes:displaced residents transition out of shelters; property owners/businesses begin repairs; critical infrastructure repaired/in progress; full transition to the Recovery Organization.
- Long-Term Recovery: ramps up several weeks after the incident, shifting from immediate needs to establishing a “new, better normal” for residents, businesses, and local government; continue repair/rebuilding of damaged structures/infrastructure and develop a long-term recovery strategy to build back better. Outcomes: residents back in homes, businesses reopened, community healthier and more resilient.
Experience of the Implementing Organisation in DRM
Target Audience
Resources Required
Timeframe & Phases
Participation Results
Coordination across jurisdictions, limited local resources and expertise, information sharing and communication gaps, transition from response to recovery.
- Non-compliant procurement → follow FEMA’s “Top 10 Procurement Mistakes”; use the contract framework from the Texas Local Catastrophic Debris Management Guide for debris removal.
- Insufficient documentation/cost tracking leading to loss of reimbursements → apply DHS OIG’s “Audit Tips for Managing Disaster-Related Project Costs.”
- Misinformation and ineffective public communication → adopt social-media guidance for recovery (fact sheets, lessons learned) and EPA safety messages/PSAs.
- Inefficient donations management → use the Donations Management Best Practices Toolkit (materials, calculator, public messaging).
- Opaque governance of victim funds → follow protocols and best practices from the National Compassion Fund and case examples (e.g., OneOrlando, Las Vegas).
- Post-disaster housing shortages → emergency measures like Sonoma County (RVs and accessory units, fee waivers, expedited permitting); Texas HOME-DR programs; FEMA Planning Considerations: Disaster Housing.
- Insurance fraud/scams targeting residents → Texas Department of Insurance resources: “Before the Storm” checklist, “Help After the Storm” guide, anti-fraud toolkit with sample posts/posters.
- Water system crises → TCEQ requirements/actions for loss of supply/pressure or contamination; public notice templates; preparedness guidance for utilities.
- Errors in debris-management contracting → use the Attachment D Model Contract Framework to ensure compliance and safeguard FEMA funding.
- Planning/permitting bottlenecks → adopt the APA Pre-Event Recovery Ordinance and fast-track permitting practices (e.g., Santa Rosa Resilient City).
- Damage to historic/cultural resources → NPS preservation checklists; emergency funds via NPS/THC; support from AIC’s National Heritage Responders.
- Delays from EHP non-compliance → ensure FEMA Environmental Planning & Historic Preservation review before project start to avoid delays/de-obligations.
Risk & Mitigation Plan
Scalability and Sustainability
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Pre-disaster planning and relationship-building, flexible organizational structure, clear leadership (through the Local Disaster Recovery Manager), regional coordination, community engagement and transparent communication