Mitigation is preventing the emergencies or taking actions to lessen the harmful effects of unavoidable emergencies. Purchasing insurance is an example of mitigation.

Mitigation includes any activities that prevent an emergency, reduce the chance of an emergency happening, or reduce the damaging effects of unavoidable emergencies. Buying food and fire insurance for your home is a mitigation activity. Mitigation actives take place BEFORE and AFTER emergencies.

The Dauphin County Emergency Management Agency's role in mitigation include preparing reports, case-studies, and statistics based on location and activities of past emergencies and disasters, the probability of future emergencies and disasters and taking the steps to prevent or lessen the effects of such situations.

• FEMA Independent Study IS393A - Introduction to hazard mitigation
  
• FEMA Independent Study IS394A - Protecting your home or small business from disaster