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Disaster Debris Always an Issue

San Jose's solution--have it in your garbage vendor contract

You name the disaster: flooding, tornado, hurricane — there will be disaster debris! And, the clean-up of debris is always an issue for the local government. One solution is to have a contract in place. This is what San Jose hadwhen flooding came their way.

The challenge can come when your contractor also has contracts with other neighboring cities. Then it becomes a capacity and scheduling issue. You might think to have a clause in the contract about the pecking order for services and where your community will be in the list of priorities. 

Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.
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