Emergency Management and Preparedness Division

About the Emergency Management and Preparedness Division

The mission of the Emergency Management and Preparedness Division is to provide "the support, tools and resources to ensure that the State of Indiana can build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards." A primary role for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) is to support first responders and communities as they prepare for and respond to a disaster or large-scale event. IDHS operates a state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to provide a communication hub for sharing information and effectively orchestrating resource logistics when a disaster overwhelms local emergency management resources or capabilities. The Emergency Management and Preparedness Division coordinates the state’s response to communities that need help responding to disaster or implementing plans and processes to mitigate natural disasters.

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By working with communities on mitigation projects that protect citizens from the natural or man-made disasters relevant to Indiana, the division represents the state’s commitment to helping Hoosiers and other states when disaster strikes. This could include equipment, personnel, incident management and other resources to help citizens recover from incidents. The division also manages damage assessments and serves as the liaison to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) when distributing individual assistance and public assistance to damaged communities.

News/Updates

Sections and Services

Local Government Support Section (Liaisons)

Statewide Contacts Map
Emergencies begin and end locally, and Indiana's county emergency management agencies (EMAs) fill that first line of response. Taking steps to reducing vulnerability to hazards, coping with disasters and liaising with other counties and the state are important aspects of these agencies' day-to-day lives. Emergency managers work with other public safety partners and organizations within communities to prepare for, mitigate, respond to and recover from emergencies.
Each county in the state has its own emergency management agency to help communities prepare for disasters and emergencies and to be the local link to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, which provides assistance financially and operationally in significant emergencies. Find contact information for your county’s EMA
Homeland Security Liaisons
Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) liaisons support local governmental units in all phases of emergency management. The primary role of Homeland Security liaisons is to provide comprehensive emergency management/homeland security guidance in the areas of preparedness, training, planning, response and recovery to their respective districts. Liaisons also act as technical consultants to local emergency management agencies, which includes clarifying and interpreting all procedures, grant funding guidance, provide references and resolving disputes. Homeland Security liaisons also work very closely with first responders, universities and local hospitals. Find contact information for your county's liaison
Emergency Operations Center and IMAT

State Emergency Operations Center
The State of Indiana Emergency Operations Center, located in the lower level of the Indiana Government Center, functions as a central coordination center for subject matter experts and key organization personnel who facilitate an effective, direct and coordinated response to the needs of the citizens of Indiana in the event of a natural disaster or significant events.
More about EOC operations
Incident Management Assistance (IMAT)
The Indiana Incident Management Assistance Team is the forward response team for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) during times of disaster and large scale emergencies. While the team is hosted by IDHS, the team consists of members from multiple state agencies and is designed to handle all types of emergency incidents.
More about incident management assistance
Equipment

IDHS retains several vehicles for emergency operations and responses as well as for training purposes. This equipment allows the department mobility that is vital when disasters strike around the state. It can also be requested for special events.
More about special equipment
Resources and Links
Cybersecurity
Emergency Manager Cybersecurity Toolkit
Grants
- Emergency Management Performance Grant
Preparedness and Response
Recovery
Mitigation and Recovery

Mitigation and Recovery Branch
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs are designed to assist states, territories, federally-recognized tribes and local communities in reducing overall risk to the population and structures from future natural hazard events.
More about mitigation and recovery
Individual Assistance Section
The Mitigation and Recovery Branch administers Individual Assistance as provided under federal law during a Presidential Declared Disaster. The Other Needs Assistance program is part of the FEMA Individuals and Households Program. These programs provide disaster assistance in form of grants for home repair, rental assistance, and personal property lost or damaged during the disaster for homeowners and renters.
More about individual assistance
Public Assistance Section
The mission of Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) Grant Program is to provide assistance to state, tribal and local governments, and private non-profit organizations so that communities can quickly respond to and recover from man-made or natural disasters or emergencies declared by the President. Through the PA Program, FEMA provides supplemental Federal disaster grant assistance to include debris removal, emergency protective measures, and the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged, publicly-owned/eligible private non-profit facilities.
More about public assistance
Preparedness
Planning Section
The Planning Section facilitates, manages, supports and revises the ongoing enhancement of Indiana's All-Hazards Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, associated emergency support function annexes, standard operating procedures, checklists and planning support of local and state agency plans. The Planning Section ensures incorporation of the National Incident Management System and the National Response Framework components, principles and policies to state agency plans. The section also oversees and provides technical guidance for all state agency's continuity of operations plans and continuity of government planning, as well as conducting and analyzing statewide threat and hazard-risk assessments which provide the foundation to identify targeted training of emergency management professionals and development of exercises to validate and improve capabilities associated with identified assessment gaps.
More about the Planning Section
Exercise Section
The Exercise Section provides first responders, volunteers, elected officials, emergency managers, private industry and others a chance to implement the skills necessary to protect lives and property through simulated catastrophic events. The goal of the section is to improve the overall readiness and core capabilities of emergency response by validating training, emergency plans and procedures to reveal strengths and weaknesses, demonstrate operational capabilities and to prepare personnel for real-world events. The section fields exercise support requests by state and local governments.
More about the Exercise Section
EMA Training

Download New EMA Orientation Packet
IDHS is responsible for providing a comprehensive training program based on the needs of the state in the areas of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. To help raise and maintain professional standards in emergency management and recognize individuals who have demonstrated basic competencies in the field, IDHS offers a certification program called the Professional Emergency Manager (PEM) Program. Learn more about it and other resources for emergency management professionals below.
More about EMA training