Our work is conducted under what is referred to as the four phases of
Emergency Management:
MITIGATION:
Activities undertaken to eliminate or reduce the chance
of an occurrence or the effects of a disaster.
Examples of mitigation tasks include undertaking
legislative efforts such as Hazardous Material Facility accident prevention
programs and Flood Plain Management programs; and conducting public outreach
programs through the community/civic organizations, service organizations,
articles, or at public events.
PREPAREDNESS:
Activities include developing plans to enhance response
capabilities and conducting exercises to assess response efficiencies.
Examples of preparedness tasks include identifying
vulnerable areas exposed to risk generating sources such as nuclear plants,
hazardous material facilities and waterways; identifying special populations
which need assistance in receiving warnings and/or following through with
protective actions; conducting/participating in a variety of exercises
scheduled each year.
RESPONSE:
Activities that are designed to provide the public with
emergency assistance.
Examples of response activities include monitoring disaster
agents; predicting the impact of a disaster agent (where, when, degree);
notifying other authorities and agencies; issuing public warnings through
the Emergency Alert System (EAS) radio stations; coordinating services and
resources of various agencies to address the needs of the public.
RECOVERY:
Activities to return the community to normal or near
normal through relief operations. Recovery is divided into two parts.
Examples of Recovery operations under Public (Government)
Property Relief include restoring utilities; clearing and restoring roads;
and restoring public buildings to provide necessary services. Examples of
Recovery operations under Individual (Citizen) Relief include food; housing;
and grants and loans.
When a disaster strikes, the overall authority for directing emergency
operations rests with the Director of Public Safety, and managing the activities
within the Emergency Operations Center rests with the Coordinator of Emergency
Planning. The Emergency Operations Center is a centralized command center where
resources can be directed toward the disaster/emergency situation through a
coordinated effort.