What functions does the office perform when there is either a man-made or natural disaster?
The Emergency Management Director and/or their Assistant works with other jurisdictions and disciplines to coordinate the response to an emergency and ensures that the response is running as safely and efficiently as possible through coordination and allocation of resources (people, items, equipment, etc). We work hand-in-hand with law enforcement, fire departments, emergency medical services, hospitals, public health, volunteer agencies and private businesses or corporations.
Aside from coordinating and assisting in disaster response what does Emergency Management really do?
We are responsible for updates and revisions to the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), coordinating various exercises that are used to test the EOP, conduct and provide public education, provide assistance to local jurisdictions and county agencies before, during and after disaster(s) strike, applying for Federal and State grants and more. We work closely with local, state and federal officials and cooperatively with neighboring counties to better prepare for and respond to incidents ranging from tornadoes and floods to pandemics and foreign animal disease outbreaks.
What is this thing you call an Emergency Operations Plan and why is it so important?
The Emergency Operations Plan or EOP is a document developed by the Emergency Management Office with input from community members that specifies who will do what in a particular type of response effort. It has chapters focused on public information and warning, search and rescue, fire protection, debris management, communications and more. It specifies locations for possible shelters (if needed), evacuation routes, traffic control points, and how to respond to incidents such as foreign animal disease outbreaks.
