Emergency Management

In general, Emergency Management is the process of coordinating available resources to combat emergencies effectively, thereby saving lives, avoiding injury, and minimizing economic loss. Today’s Emergency Management Program evolved from the old Civil Defense and Civil Preparedness programs of the 1950s, 60s, and early 70s.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) resulted from the consolidation of five federal agencies that were dealing with different types of emergencies. Since then, many states and local jurisdictions have accepted this approach and changed the names of their organizations to include the words “emergency management.”

Comprehensive Emergency Management
Four Phases of Emergency Management
Why Have Emergency Management?
Levels of Emergency Management within Government

Principles of Emergency Management

Emergency Management
Emergency management is the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters.

Emergency Management Programs seek to promote safer, less vunerable communities with the capacity to cope with hazards and disasters by coordinating and integrating all activities necessary to build, sustain, and improve the capability to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from threatened or actual natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters.

To be effective emergency management must be:

Comprehensive - emergency managers consider and take into account all hazards, all phases, all stakeholders, and all impacts revelant to disasters.
Progressive - emergency managers anticipate future disasters and take preventive and preparatory measures to build disaster-resistant and disaster-resilient communities.
Risk-driven - emergency managers use sound risk management principles (hazard identification, risk analysis, and impact analysis) in assigning priorities and resources.
Integrated - emergency managers ensure unity of effort among all levels of government and all elements of a community.
Collaborative - emergency managers create and sustain broad and sincere relationships among individuals and organizations to encourage trust, advocate a team atmosphere, build consensus, and facilitate communication.
Coordinated - emergency managers synchronize the activities of all relevant stakeholders to achieve a common purpose.
Flexible - emergency managers use creative and innovative approaches in solving disaster challenges.
Professional - emergency managers value a science and knowledge-based approach based on education, training, experience, ethical practice, public stewardship, and continuous improvement.

Why Have Emergency Management?

By law and by function, Emergency Management in the United States is a cooperative effort on the part of all levels of government and the private sector.

Federal—The Civil Defense Act of 1950, Public Law 920, as amended, is the legal basis for national civil defense and emergency management in the United States.
1. The Act states that responsibility for national civil defense and emergency management is vested jointly in the federal, state, and local governments.
2. Each state must have its own laws, which are consistent with the federal law, if they wish to qualify for federal aid and assistance. This means that state laws must be compatible with, or require the same basic course of action as, the federal law.
Oregon—Oregon Revised Statues Chapter 401 is the legal basis for emergency management in Oregon.
1. State—
  1. The Governor is responsible for the emergency services system within the State of Oregon. ORS 401-035(1)
  2. The continued mission of the Office of Emergency Management is to execute the Governor’s responsibilities to maintain an emergency services system as prescribed in this chapter by planning, preparing and providing for the prevention, mitigation and management of emergencies or disasters that present a threat to the lives and property of citizens of and visitors to the State of Oregon. ORS 401.260 (3)
2. County—Each county of this state shall, and each city may, establish an emergency management agency which shall be directly responsible to the executive officer or governing body of the county or city. ORS 401.350
3. City of Beaverton—Each county of this state shall, and each city may, establish an emergency management agency which shall be directly responsible to the executive officer or governing body of the county or city. ORS 401.350

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Levels of Emergency Management within Government

The Levels of emergency management within the government are:

Federal—The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an independent agency of the federal government, reporting to the President. FEMA’s mission is to reduce the loss of life and property and protect our nation’s critical infrastructure from all types of hazards through a comprehensive, risk-based, emergency management program of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
State—The mission of Oregon Emergency Management (OEM) is to execute the Governor’s responsibilities to maintain an emergency services system as prescribed in Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) 401. This is accomplished through the prevention, mitigation, and management of emergencies or disasters that present a threat to the lives and property of citizens and visitors to the state of Oregon.
County—Washington County’s Office of Consolidated Emergency Management (OCEM) is a multi-jurisdiction emergency management organization, formed by Inter-governmental Agreement in 1995. The organization serves Washington County, the Cities of Beaverton and Hillsboro, and the Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue (TVF&R) District. OCEM is committed to the development and maintenance of a countywide, integrated system to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against disasters.
City—The City of Beaverton’s Emergency Management Program is responsible for developing and maintaining the City’s ability to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against major emergencies and disasters and to minimize loss of life and property, ensure continuity of government, and facilitate rapid recovery.

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Emergency Management