What is Emergency Management?

Background:

The organization and management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all aspects of emergencies, in particularly mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Emergency management involves plans, structures and arrangements established to engage the normal endeavors of government, voluntary and private agencies in a comprehensive and coordinated way to respond to the whole spectrum of emergency needs. This is also known as disaster management.

In the United States, the lead federal agency for emergency management is the Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA. Each state also has an emergency management office, and most other levels of government have a similar office as well.

Emergency managers are generally trained through a combination of education, experience, and certificate courses. There are several professional organizations that provide certification, including the International Association of Emergency Managers and DRI International.

Emergency Management in San Diego County:

The Unified Disaster Council (UDC) is the governing body of the Unified San Diego County Emergency Services Organization. The Council is comprised of the Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, who serves as Chair of the Council, and representatives from the 18 incorporated cities. The primary purpose of the UDC and the Emergency Services Organization is to provide for the coordination of plans and programs designed for the protection of life and property in the County of San Diego.

The County of San Diego Office of Emergency Services (OES) serves as staff to the UDC. In this capacity, OES is a liaison between the incorporated cities, the Governor's Office of Emergency Services and FEMA, as well as non-governmental agencies such as the American Red Cross.

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The County of San Diego Office of Emergency Services coordinates the overall county response to disasters. OES is responsible for:

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