The Fire Department‘ s Office of Emergency Management( OEM) is responsible for protecting lives, property and the environment by mitigating, preparing for, responding to and recovering from natural and man-made disasters. As a high-profile community, with two professional sports venues, two major amusement parks, a state university, a private college, a community college, an airport, national call centers, and manufacturing facilities, Arlington has to be prepared for any risk.
OEM has aggressively pursued grant funding through the Urban Areas Security Initiative, Metropolitan Medical Response System, State Homeland Security Program and the Texas Engineering Extension Service. Arlington has been awarded over $ 15.8 million in grant funds in the past four years to enhance preparedness and response capabilities. Coordination of these programs lies within Emergency Management.
To address natural disasters, the Fire Department‘ s Office of Emergency Management took a leading role in coordinating the City‘ s response to the potential threat of the H1N1 virus. Working closely with the City‘ s Health Authority, Medical Director, Medical Operations, and the local medical community, the public was educated on this risk and appropriate mitigation steps were taken.
Whenever severe weather threatens the City of Arlington, OEM monitors the developing weather situation and communicates with the National Weather Service and Arlington trained Storm Spotters to determine if there is a need to activate the outdoor warning sirens. When emergency conditions exist, OEM activates the Emergency Operations Center( EOC) as the central coordination point for public safety response and recovery in the City. During these emergencies, OEM coordinates with local, state and federal agencies to assist in bringing the City back to pre-disaster conditions.
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