Disaster Emergency Services

• We Prepare - For the dangers we can't eliminate
• We mitigate - the dangers that we can
• We respond - to those events that occur
• We Recover - From those events that we survive

Preparing for disasters is most effective when emergency management is part of the everyday government process. The perfect time to plan for a disaster is before it occurs. By planning beforehand, we have an opportunity to take all the time necessary to determine what "could go wrong" and set down several contingency plans. Planning for the emergency is not the sole responsibility of D.E.S.; it requires the partnership of all emergency management personnel to effectively prevent, respond, and recover from disasters.

Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan 2016

There are four distinct phases of emergency management

• Preparedness: is undertaken before a disaster occurs to build emergency management capacity.
• Response: Activities provide emergency assistance to save lives, preserve property, and protect the environment.
• Recovery: Is the process of returning systems to normal levels, such as replacing a bridge that was washed away by flooding, or restoring a water system that was inundated by floodwaters. Some activities can be accomplished quickly, while others take years.
• Mitigation: Activities normally occur before an emergency or disaster. Or directly on the heels of a disaster. Such activities include building dikes. Adopting a floodplain and zoning regulations. The primary purpose of mitigation is to eliminate or reduce the probability of a disaster, which will include actions to postpone, dissipate, or lessen the effects of any disaster.