Emergency management (or disaster management) is the discipline of dealing with and avoiding risks. It is a discipline that involves preparing for disaster before it occurs, disaster response (e.g. emergency evacuation, quarantine, mass decontamination, etc.), as well as supporting, and rebuilding society after natural or human-made disasters have occurred. In general, any Emergency management is the continuous process by which all individuals, groups, and communities manage hazards in an effort to avoid or ameliorate the impact of disasters resulting from the hazards. Actions taken depend in part on perceptions of risk of those exposed. Emergency Management is one of a number of terms which, since the end of the Cold War, have largely replaced Civil defense, whose original focus was protecting civilians from military attack. Modern thinking focuses on a more general intent to protect the civilian population in times of peace as well as in times of war.
Local Emergency Planning Committees are quasi-governmental bodies, generally at the county or municipal level, in the United States. They do not function in actual emergency situations, but attempt to identify and catalogue potential hazards, identify available resources, mitigate hazards when feasible, and write emergency plans. When an actual emergency occurs, the materials are made available to the Incident Commander. According to the National Response Plan (NRP) the initial response to an emergency incident or disaster is by local officials. The role of the LEPC is to anticipate and plan the initial response for foreseeable disasters in their jurisdiction. The LEPC is composed of representatives of various Police, Fire, EMS, Hospitals, Public Health, Private Industry, Red Cross, Salvation Army, Military, Coast Guard, RACES Radio, Colleges Private Ambulance Services, Offices of Emergency Management, and the Public.EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
The mission of Woodford County Emergency Management (EM) Agency is to assist the community to identify threats within the cities and county, write emergency plans, to coordinate response and recovery efforts, and to coordinate mitigation. Through planning and education Woodford EM helps to prepare Woodford County residents, businesses, and government agencies for threats from weather (including tornados and snow storms) as well as man-made or technological emergencies (including hazardous materials spills).
PROTECT YOUR FAMILY
Life is the single most important thing worth protecting and the life of your family can be preserved in an emergency with three simple steps.
- Make a family emergency plan and teach all members their responsibilities.
- Prepare an emergency supply kit to make your family self-sufficient for several days.
- Get involved in Kentucky’s various training and volunteer program opportunities.
PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS
Every business should have an emergency plan. It can save lives, company assets, and your business. Continuity planning must account for all hazards.
- Plan to stay in business: Be informed and know how to make decisions on whether to stay or go.
- Talk to your people: Involve people from all levels and most importantly, practice the plan.
- Protect your investment: Policies vary, meet with your provider to review coverage.
RESOURCES
