The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is a

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

of the government of Oklahoma responsible for coordinating the response to a

natural disaster A natural disaster is "the negative impact following an actual occurrence of natural hazard in the event that it significantly harms a community". A natural disaster can cause loss of life or damage property, and typically leaves some econ ...

that has occurred in the State and that has overwhelmed the abilities of local authorities. This is achieved primarily through the development and maintenance of a comprehensive statewide

emergency management Emergency management or disaster management is the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management, despite its name, does not actuall ...

plan. OEM is responsible for coordinating the efforts of the

federal government A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...

with other state departments and agencies, county and municipal governments and school boards, and with private agencies that have a role in emergency management.

Mission

The mission of OEM is to minimize the effects of attack, technological and natural disasters upon the people of Oklahoma by preparing, implementing and exercising preparedness plans, assisting local government subdivisions with training for and mitigation of disasters, and by coordinating actual disaster response/recovery operations.

Leadership

The Department is under the supervision of the

Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security The Oklahoma Secretary of Public Safety is a member of the Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet. The Secretary is appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the Oklahoma Senate, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Secretary serves as the chie ...

and under the executive control of the Department's Director. Under Governor

Kevin Stitt John Kevin Stitt (born December 28, 1972) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 28th governor of Oklahoma. A member of the Republican Party, he began his first term as governor in January 2019 and was reelected to a second t ...

, Michael C. Thompson is serving as Secretary (since 2011) and Mark Gower is serving as Director (since January 2019). The Director of Emergency Management is appointed by the

Governor of Oklahoma The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma Executive (government), executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The gove ...

with the advice and consent of the

Oklahoma Senate The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.natural disasters A natural disaster is "the negative impact following an actual occurrence of natural hazard in the event that it significantly harms a community". A natural disaster can cause loss of life or damage property, and typically leaves some econo ...

. To perform this function, the Department works closely with the

Oklahoma Department of Public Safety The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety (ODPS) is a department of the government of Oklahoma. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Public Safety, DPS provides for the safety of Oklahomans and the administration of justice in the ...

, the

Oklahoma State Department of Health The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) is a department of the government of Oklahoma under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Health. The department is responsible for protecting the health of all Oklahomans and providing other ...

, the

Oklahoma National Guard The Oklahoma National Guard, a division of the Oklahoma Military Department, is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It comprises both Army (OKARNG) and Air (OKANG) National Guard components. The Governo ...

, and the

Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security The Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security (OKOHS) is an agency of State of Oklahoma that is responsible for reducing the State's vulnerability to acts of terrorism and for minimizing and recovering the damage caused by terrorist attacks. OKOHS i ...

. During times when the

declares a

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

due to natural disasters, all of these agencies report to and receive orders from the Governor through OEM. These relationship only applies however when the state of emergency is from a disaster. During non-disaster time, the Department of Public Safety, which is responsible for general law enforcement of the State through the

Oklahoma Highway Patrol The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) is a major state law enforcement agency of the government of Oklahoma. A division of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, the OHP has traffic enforcement jurisdiction throughout the state. OHP was legislat ...

, is the Governor's chief

public safety Public security or public safety is the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety and security of the public from significant danger, injury, or property damage. It is often conducted by a state government to ensure ...

agent. OEM reports to the Office of Homeland Security, during emergencies or otherwise, on all matters related to

homeland security Homeland security is an American national security term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive" to ...

or an act of

terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...

. The State Health Department is the lead agency on disasters caused by the spread of

infectious diseases An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...

bioterrorism Bioterrorism is terrorism involving the intentional release or dissemination of biological agents. These agents are bacteria, viruses, insects, fungi, and/or toxins, and may be in a naturally occurring or a human-modified form, in much the same ...

. The National Guard, under the direction of the

Adjutant General of Oklahoma The Adjutant General of Oklahoma is the highest-ranking military official in the state of Oklahoma, subordinate only to the Governor of Oklahoma. The highest officer of the Oklahoma National Guard, the Adjutant General is the principal advisor to t ...

, becomes the lead agency on any matter (

related or otherwise) whenever the Governor so directs or when the Governor declares

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

History

The Department of Emergency Management was originally created as the Department of Civil Defense by legislative action in 1951. Soon after its creation, the Civil Defense agency and the Department of Emergency Resources Management were combined into one unified disaster aid organization, known as the Oklahoma Department of Civil Emergency Management. The Department of Emergency Management was created in 2003 during the term of Governor

Brad Henry Charles Bradford Henry (born July 10, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician who was the 26th governor of Oklahoma from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2002. Henry won re-election for a second term ...

by the

Oklahoma Emergency Management Act of 2003 The Oklahoma Emergency Management Act of 2003 (63 O.S. § 683.1-683.24) is an Oklahoma state law that replaced the ''Oklahoma Civil Defense and Emergency Resources Management Act of 1967'' as the primary state law detailing emergency management i ...

. Today it is the central point of contact for coordination of four closely allied functions: Hazard Mitigation, Community Preparedness, Emergency Response and Disaster Recovery.

Programs and Services

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Managements provides two programs for Oklahoma citizens: Individual Assistance/Human Services Program and Public Assistance Program. In addition to these two programs, OEM provides three services to help with mitigation and preparedness for disasters: Safe Schools 101, OK- WARN, and incident hotline. The Individual Assistance Program/Human Services Program is predicated on connecting citizens individually and local/small business owners with OEM. This program guarantees that all local Oklahoma communities are up to date on all services available and technology in all four phases of disaster. In order to simplify this process, OEM uses a process of stages that ensures the most productive way for the program to benefit all communities. The four stages are coordination (connects with organizations), Activation (training), Respond (Plan in place for sustainability after disaster strikes), and Engage (oversight of all operations). In coordination with OEM there are other organizations who help with this program including The American Red Cross, Oklahoma Department of Human Services, and FEMA. The Public Assistance Program is primarily a funding program to ensure that funds are accessible to Oklahoma and local Oklahoma governments from federal funds. These funds can also be provided to nonprofit organizations who participate in disaster relief. The Process starts with FEMA which specifically approves public assistance programs. These programs receive their money either from federal funds or grants. The available funds are given from these programs to the State of Oklahoma, which then distributes the funds to local community applicants (Oklahoma local communities must apply for federal money with reason for aid). Most of these funds are used to rebuild infrastructure damage from disasters. The Safe Schools 101 service is a voluntary option to all schools in Oklahoma that allows for volunteer expert architects and engineers to assess the structure of schools and the possibility for the implementation for safe rooms. This service was implemented by the OEM after the deadly 2013 tornado outbreak that directly affected fifty-four schools in Oklahoma. Oklahoma Weather Alert Remote Notification (OK-WARN) is a weather alert system that specifically was created to benefit the deaf and hard-of-hearing. With the fear of deaf and hard-of-hearing not being able to access knowledge of incoming weather events. OK-WARN provides these Oklahoma citizens with current weather events via specific pagers or email. This program is in accordance with the Individual Assistance/Human Services Program to help ensure local communities have resources available to help those specific people like those who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. "The Incident Resource Hotline service ultimately allows for local government and emergency responders the ability to pre-identify resources which can be transported and the ability to know exactly what they’re receiving when requested".

Budget

The budget of the Department of Emergency Management is divided between its operating fund, which is used to run administrative operations of the Department, and the state emergency fund, which is used to respond to and recover from disaster.

Divisions

*Hazard Mitigation Division - assists local communities identify and implement long-term hazard mitigation measures *Community Preparedness Division - provides forum for coordination between federal, state, and local agencies in responding to disasters *Emergency Response Division - coordinates State emergency response operations and oversees Emergency Operations Center *Disaster Recovery Division - implements procedures to deliver State and Federal aid to persons affected by emergencies *Administrative Division - provides central direction to entire Department

References

External links

Official Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oklahoma Department Of Emergency Management Department of Emergency Management Emergency services in the United States by state