Its purpose shall be to plan, coordinate, implement, and monitor this policy, as well as programs and actions concerning comprehensive risk management, disaster prevention, and emergency response within the canton, in accordance with Ley N.° 8488, Ley N.° 7794 (Código Municipal), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the guidelines of the Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias (CNE).
The Department shall consist of a multidisciplinary team of at least three professionals specializing in technical fields relevant to risk management, such as occupational health, civil or environmental engineering, geography, geology, environmental management, social work, or territorial planning, according to the needs identified in the Plan Cantonal de Gestión del Riesgo.
Its principal functions shall include:
A. Designing and implementing policies and strategies for prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery in emergencies.
B. Coordinating with institutions of the Sistema Nacional de Gestión del Riesgo, community committees, emergency-response bodies, and municipal units to carry out operational actions when incidents are reported, as appropriate.
C. Preparing and updating the Plan Cantonal de Gestión del Riesgo, as well as institutional response protocols for natural or human-induced hazards.
D. Promoting community training and awareness concerning risk management, self-protection, and cantonal resilience.
E. Identifying and updating the inventory of potential shelter facilities; as part of cantonal risk management, guidelines shall be implemented for opening, administering, and supervising temporary shelters, in accordance with current national regulations and the official Guide issued by the Comisión Nacional de Emergencias (CNE).
F. Keeping the canton’s inventory of hazards, vulnerabilities, and capacities up to date, in coordination with the Sistema Nacional de Información para la Gestión del Riesgo.
G. Identifying and systematizing historical natural and human-induced events that have occurred in the canton of Grecia and keeping their collective memory alive, in order to preserve local history and strengthen the culture of prevention. To this end, educational and social activities, outreach campaigns on social media, and other awareness-raising mechanisms shall be promoted to increase public awareness of comprehensive risk management and disaster prevention.
H. Coordinating with the various municipal units the performance of inspections, preventive actions, construction designs, construction work, investment plans, and reports.
Advising the other municipal departments on incorporating a risk-management approach into planning, investment, and construction oversight processes.