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Emergency Management and Preparedness

Emergency Management and Preparedness

About the Emergency Management and Preparedness Division

Emergency management logo
Emergency management logo

The Emergency Management and Preparedness Division provides the support, tools and resources to ensure that the state of Indiana can build, sustain and improve its capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards. IDHS supports first responders and communities as they prepare for and respond to disasters and large-scale events. This includes:

  • Leading and engaging stakeholders at all levels (local, state and federal) to assess risks, create plans, train personnel and practice responses
  • Operating a state-of-the-art emergency operations center to provide a communication hub for sharing information and effectively orchestrating resource logistics when disasters overwhelm local emergency management resources or capabilities
  • Coordinating the state’s response to communities that need help responding to disasters or implementing plans and processes to mitigate them
  • Managing damage assessments and serving as the liaison to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) when distributing individual assistance and public assistance to damaged communities to help them recover
  • Working with communities on mitigation projects that protect citizens from the natural or man-made disasters relevant to Indiana

News/Updates

Indiana 211 Accepting Reports of Storm Damage

To help establish a comprehensive assessment of damage, residents of Daviess, Randolph and Jefferson counties are asked to contact Indiana 211 to report severe storm damage from March 5 (Daviess) and March 14 (Randolph, Jefferson). Collecting assessments via this process will help IDHS determine damage estimates and develop the next course of action in the disaster recovery process. Agricultural damage should be reported to Purdue Extension.

Indiana 211

FEMA Reforms Disaster Assistance Program

FEMA is changing its federal disaster assistance policies and expanding benefits to cut red tape, provide funds faster and give people more flexibility. Visit fema.gov to learn more.

2024 NextLevel Agenda: State Disaster Relief Fund Changes

Gov. Eric J. Holcomb's 2024 agenda includes working with the state legislature to increase the maximum award for individual assistance, fund disaster mitigation and simplify the public assistance program. The goal: to make it easier for communities to prepare and recover from disasters:

  • Streamline how the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) can be used to ensure more expenses associated with disasters are eligible
  • Allow a portion of the SDRF to be awarded for disaster mitigation programs to assist in protecting against future damage
  • Simplify the public assistance grant formula for easier access when needed
  • Increase the maximum potential award for individual assistance from $10,000 to $25,000
  • Provide Hoosiers flexibility when applying for assistance by removing the requirement that individual assistance can only be used when the U.S. Small Business Administration declares a disaster
  • Incentivize counties to prepare hazard mitigation plans by increasing the amount the county can receive in a disaster
SDRF Background

The SDRF was established in 2003 to provide assistance to individuals and local governments who may not be eligible for federal disaster assistance but meet the state’s criteria for disaster relief. IDHS administers the SDRF in two parts: Public Assistance and Individual Assistance. Funding from the SDRF is designed to assist with repairing structures like buildings or houses. Examples of other projects include repairing public roads and bridges, reimbursing public safety response costs, replacement of medically required equipment and repairs to vehicles required for work. Currently, the SDRF is funded by IDHS-issued fireworks permits.

Total solar eclipse with glow and IDHS stylized logo
Total solar eclipse with glow and IDHS stylized logo
Total Solar Eclipse Website

IDHS, as part of the statewide planning committee's 2024 total solar eclipse preparedness efforts, has created a website to share important information about the April 8, 2024, eclipse with public safety partners and the general public. The Total Solar Eclipse 2024 website provides basic info about what to expect from the event, viewing safety tips and many resources that emergency managers can use and share with local first responders, schools and the public. This site will continue to be updated as planning efforts develop.

eclipse2024.in.gov

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