Grant County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is mandated by Indiana Code Title 10-14-3. We work in conjunction with the Indiana Dept. of Homeland Security, the United States Dept. of Homeland Security, the Office for Domestic Preparedness, and many other State and Federal agencies. The primary responsibility of the Grant Emergency Management Agency is to better prepare Grant County for natural, manmade, or technological disasters, hazards, or acts of terrorism. We also work with city and county response agencies of all types, ensuring preparedness and response capabilities for any manmade or natural disaster that may occur anywhere within Grant County.
Grant County EMA is responsible for writing, updating, and disseminating the Grant County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, Strategic Preparedness Plan, Standard Operating Procedures, Memorandums of Understanding, and Mutual Aid Agreements. The Grant County EMA assists local governments with multihazard emergency operations plans and maintains the Grant County Emergency Operations Plan as well as providing mutual aid to neighboring counties. We receive new and updated requirements from IDHS and relay them to county agencies. The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) acts as a leader in crisis/consequence management response and operations to notify, activate, deploy, and employ county resources in response to any threat or act of terrorism.
Emergency Management's goal is to help our citizens prepare for and cope with any type of emergency through the maintenance of the County's emergency operations plan. This document coordinates all fire, law enforcement, medical, and other allied disaster agencies. A large portion of the office's responsibility is to educate the general public and businesses on disaster preparedness and response. The office is also responsible for emergency communications for the community in the event of a large-scale failure.
The Grant County EMA operates under the authority of the Grant County Board of County Commissioners, which appoints the Director and is a branch of county government. The Grant County EMA is the local link to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which assist in obtaining homeland security grant funding from state and federal agencies and provide financial assistance in the event of a significant disaster.
Our Mission
The Grant County Emergency Management's mission is to fulfill the four phases of emergency management.
- Mitigation - prevent any disaster before it happens.
- Preparedness - training, and education to be ready for the disaster when it occurs.
- Response - to respond on scene and provide services to local agencies and coordinate with state and federal departments.
- Recovery - to return a community or the affected area back to normal after a disaster.
Some of these actions are accomplished by getting information out to the public; by way of educational materials, presentations to organized groups, social clubs, and press releases. To educate the public regarding, whom to contact; what to do before, during, and after; and where to go for assistance. Assist the public to be self-prepared to minimize the impact caused by emergencies.
The Grant County EMA is committed to a regional all-hazards emergency response concept. The EMA serves through coordination and support of disaster preparedness, planning, and recovery efforts of Grant County and its political subdivisions in conjunction with the State of Indiana, community organizations, businesses, and the public.
Grant County Emergency Management provides coordination of resources during disasters, as well as providing information on disaster preparedness. Each year Grant County EMA responds to numerous small incidents. These include transportation accidents, hazardous material incidents, weather events, and others. Grant County EMA also responds to any major event that might impact Grant County.
OUR GOAL Our goal is to coordinate resources in and around Grant County to better prepare, prevent and handle emergencies. These resources include the people who live, visit and work in Grant County.
Our Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
The Grant County EMA Emergency Operations Center (EOC) provides a central location where disaster management can be carried out.
The EOC has three main functions:
- Coordination of disaster response during a large-scale disaster event.
- Coordination of storm monitoring during severe weather or winter storm event.
- Emergency Management meetings and training sessions.
Grant County EMA Functions
- Develops emergency plans and procedures in coordination with city, county, state, and federal agencies.
- Develops and conducts emergency management training and education programs for the county.
- Coordinates with private relief agencies such as the American Red Cross to ensure the provision of relief supplies.
- Assesses potential hazards and notifications to county officials.
- Supports the Incident Command System at a scene of an emergency or disaster.
- Assists in the development of media information regarding incidents.
- Assists Law Enforcement/Fire Containment agencies as needed at incident sites.
- Assists in disaster recovery operations.
- Coordinate Emergency Management activities for Grant County.
- Maintain and update the county's Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, Hazards Vulnerability Analysis, and Hazard Mitigation Plan.
- Activate and staff the county Emergency Operations Center.
- Work with other county, city, town, departments, agencies, and task force elements to develop a variety of related emergency plans, procedures, and guidelines.
- Coordinate local, state, and federal government response and recovery operations during a major emergency or disaster.
- Maintain and operate the counties fixed -site and mobile Emergency Operations Centers.
- Conduct community emergency and disaster education workshops.
- Monitor severe weather watches, warnings, and special statements issued by the National Weather Service and provide this information to other local government departments including public safety and public works agencies.
- Serve as staff support for the Grant County Local Emergency Planning Committee for Hazardous Materials.
- Provide assistance and support to all public safety agencies, government entities, and private sector partners through planning, training, and exercising.
- Coordinate resource support to tactical response units and on-scene Incident Commanders.
- Provide Continuity of Operations Planning information and guidance.
For more information:
IDHS - Indiana Dept. of Homeland Security