GRAPEVINE FIRE DEPARTMENT Annual Report 2016
Emergency Management
The Office of Emergency Management( OEM) coordinates with city departments, the private sector, and community stakeholders to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards presenting the greatest risk. These threats and hazards can include natural disasters, disease pandemics, chemical spills, and other manmade emergencies. Activities and programs of the Office of Emergency Management are organized into the following areas:
Mitigation – Activities that change the nature of a threat, decrease vulnerability, or reduce exposure to disaster impacts. Mitigation activities can occur throughout the disaster cycle and can be structural or non-structural in nature. Preparedness – Actions taken before an emergency to plan, organize, equip, train, and exercise to build response capabilities. Preparedness activities take place within the city and throughout the community. Response – Actions that are taken during or immediately after a disaster occurs. Response actions include mobilization of emergency services, first responder activities, and activation of the Emergency Operations Center when necessary. Recovery – Activities that continue beyond the initial emergency response. Recovery focuses on restoring critical community functions to normal and managing reconstruction. Rebuilding efforts can also include mitigation practices to reduce risk for the future.
In 2016, emergency management staff coordinated community preparedness activities, maintained the outdoor warning sirens, conducted festival and event safety planning, disseminated CodeRed emergency alerts, initiated interdepartmental planning efforts, and sustained regional partnerships to enhance Grapevine’ s ability to respond and recover from disaster. Additionally in 2016, the Emergency Management Coordinator and Emergency Management Intern positions were filled to ensure continued dedication to the city’ s emergency management efforts.
Annual Report 2016 Page 16 of 18