Emergency Management

Duties & Responsibilities

The Emergency Management Division plans for and responds to a wide range of both natural and man-made disasters or events. These range from severe weather events to incidents involving hazardous materials. The division prepares and implements a county-wide Emergency Operations Plan, and routinely conducts extensive exercises to test local and regional emergency response capabilities.

County Liaison

The division is the county’s liaison with state and federal emergency management agencies on emergencies of all kinds. Division staff members provide technical assistance to other local government entities and municipalities as they prepare emergency plans and procedures.

Emergency Operations Center

The division is responsible for and maintains a primary Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in the County. The EOC serves as the command and control center for coordinating and directing emergency activities during large-scale or multi-jurisdictional disaster situations or activities.

Phases of Overall Emergency Management

  1. Planning / Preparedness

Preparedness takes the form of plans or procedures designed to save lives and to minimize damage when an emergency occurs. Planning, training, and disaster drills are the essential elements of preparedness. These activities ensure that when a disaster strikes, our local communities and county will be able to provide the best response possible. Disasters are caused by high winds, flash floods, releases of hazardous chemicals, fire, ice, earthquakes and other natural and man-made hazards. When disaster strikes, the best protection is knowing what to do. Rowan County encourages all of it’s citizens to BE READY.

  1. Response
  1. Recovery
  1. Mitigation