Recommendation Status: In Progress
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Recommendation: Better coordinate the state’s response and communication in a disaster event. Coordination can occur in the following ways or areas:
- Expand opportunities for learning and practicing disaster preparedness skills in schools, 4-H programs, farms, workplaces, and other settings.
- The NH Department of Health and Human Services to develop a coordinated mass feeding response plan and communication systems between government agencies, NGOs, and private sector food suppliers. Identify more efficient streamlined ways for food donations and coordination.
- NH Voluntary Organizations Assisting in Disaster to develop memorandums of understanding amongst its membership in order to have pre-established agreements for procurement, payment, and delivery of meals or food.
- Identify and provide training support for large animal rescue teams with knowledge in livestock handling. Work with local fire and rescue teams to improve their ability to respond to large animal rescue events.
- Engage all farmers to create inclusive disaster response policies. Small-scale, minority, and marginalized farmers should be sought out and included in the development of disaster response policies to ensure their specific needs are addressed.
Current work happening on this recommendation: In August 2025, the NH Department of Health & Human Services, the NH Department of Public Health, and the NH BEPRR started a monthly, 60-minute meetings to create the State Multi-Agency Feeding Support Plan (SMAFSP). The plan defines the progression of and guidance for communication and coordination with feeding response partners from the request for feeding support services until no longer required and/or community lifelines are restored
The state agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and NH municipalities represented in these meetings at this time include: the NH Department of Administrative Services, the NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs, the NH Department of Education, the NH Department of Agriculture, the NH Department of Safety/Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and the NH Department of Health and Human Services, Salvation Army, American Red Cross, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, NH Meals on Wheels, Granite State Independent Living, NH Community Action Programs, the following Regional Public Health Networks (RPHNs): Capital Area, Greater Nashua, and South Central and the cities of Manchester, Nashua, and Portsmouth.
Learn more about this work and get involved here
Craving context? This recommendation is included in the Climate Resilience & Disaster Relief brief, part of the NH Food and Agriculture Strategic Plan.
Read the Climate Resilience & Disaster Relief brief here
