Mission Statement

Emergency Management’s mission is to conduct strategic emergency planning for Ford County with the goal of saving lives, mitigate property loss, and coordinate actions with government stakeholders. Our goal is to prepare, respond, and recover from natural or man-made disasters in Ford County. In addition, the office manages the County Emergency Operations Center, conducts emergency training, and helps coordinate the Citizen Emergency Response Teams (CERT).

Preparedness

The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) provides information to city residents and departments to develop plans to deal with the effects of both natural and man-made hazards. This includes the publishing of the Disaster Preparedness Guide, updating of the Ford County OEM and performing work within the community that encourages emergency preparedness.

Response

The most visible work that OEM does is during an emergency. As the chief coordinating body for city departments, OEM works with various city, regional, and state entities to respond to emergency situations. This includes bringing in supplies and equipment from neighboring jurisdictions through mutual aid agreements, coordinating evacuation response and management during catastrophic incidents, and providing recommendations to the mayors on what actions should be taken to minimize the impact of a disaster.

Recovery

After impact, OEM coordinates a response to ensure that individuals have what they need to survive. This includes the setting up of Points of Distribution (PODs) to provide basic supplies to individuals in need. An assessment of physical damage is also performed. This information is provided to governmental entities such as the State of Kansas and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist in acquiring funding to help residents recover from catastrophic incidences.

Mitigation

By developing programs that either minimize the impact of a disaster, or reduce the city's vulnerability to the disaster, lives and property can be saved. OEM participates in mitigation projects designed to do just that, including developing new flood control systems, and tools for the community to better understand the threats that could impact them.