Introduction to Emergency Management

Emergency management includes a 4 phase approach:

1. Preparedness
2. Response
3. Recovery
4. Mitigation

These 4 areas address the needs of the citizens of Queen Anne’s County if there is a significant natural or technological event.

Preparedness

Queen Anne’s County Emergency Management Division is working hard to prepare the citizens of the County for any type of disaster that might happen. The division is constantly upgrading it’s Emergency Operations Plan to be prepared for an emergency. On this website you will find many links to other sites that can advise you on emergency preparedness in any disaster situation. The key to preparedness is to educate yourself on what to do and how to act in an emergency.

The County now has Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) training where you will learn disaster preparedness, community outreach in an emergency, fire attack with a fire extinguisher and many other self help lessons. This is a 20 hour class and you can help yourself and your community. Enroll in a 1st aid class through the American Red Cross, take CPR, join a volunteer fire company and take all kinds of emergency training for free and help your community. If you want to survive in a disaster you need to educate yourself and your family.

Response

The Emergency Management Division works very closely with it’s volunteer fire and ambulance community as well as many other departments within County government to ensure when a disaster happens the public remains safe. Upon activation of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) the County notifies key personnel from every department to respond to the designated EOC. These key personnel are involved in the decision making process that will enhance delivery of emergency response to all of the citizens.

Agreements are in place with our surrounding jurisdictions and the state to provide mutual aid should the necessity arise. As a citizen you play a key role in the response capabilities of the County. If you are asked to evacuate or have a disaster kit it is your responsibility to be prepared and respond accordingly so that you are fulfilling your safety obligations to yourself and your family. Responding quickly to an emergency is everyone’s responsibility.

Recovery

After a disaster it is the Emergency Management Division’s responsibility to help the community and it’s infrastructure recover as quickly as possible. Agreements with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) ensure that the community will be supported in the time of crisis. Through the support of FEMA and MEMA, disaster recovery centers are established in the community and housing grants, individual assistance in the form of loans and grants, and government agencies are assisted to recoup disaster expenses in the event of loss.

Mitigation

The Emergency Management Division uses mitigation activities to reduce future losses in the event of natural or technological hazards in the community. This could be as simple as public education activities or as complex as applying mitigation techniques to coastal properties involving wet land restoration or restricting development in flood prone areas.

Most mitigation activities are done at the local government level where land use decisions are made, growth and development take place, and where hazards occur. The County is undergoing a hazard mitigation study at this time to identify potential hazards and develop a plan to mitigate potential problems in the future. Citizens can take steps to apply mitigation techniques to their own properties and carry flood insurance for those times that Mother Nature might prevail.