GRAPEVINE FIRE DEPARTMENT
Annual Report 2017
Emergency Management
The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) works with city departments, the private sector,
and community stakeholders to mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards
that pose the greatest risk. These risks include incidents such as natural disasters, disease
pandemics, chemical spills, and other manmade emergencies. Activities of OEM fall within the
following phases of emergency management:
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 2017, emergency management staff coordinated community preparedness activities,
maintained the outdoor warning sirens, facilitated special event emergency planning and
coordination, disseminated CodeRed alerts, enhanced interdepartmental planning efforts, and
sustained regional partnerships to ensure Grapevine’s ability to respond and recover from
disasters. Additionally in 2017, the city opened a new Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
within the Public Safety Building to enhance coordination, collaboration, and communication
during major events and emergencies. The new facility features an integrated audio-visual
network and numerous workstations to provide real-time situational awareness for city officials.
Annual Report 2017
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