The Preparedness Section mission is to provide support to local, tribal, and state government agencies and others in establishing emergency management programs to effectively prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from threats and hazards. The section is made up of three units: grants, training and exercise, and regional response.
To establish, sustain and maintain, or enhance the capabilities of first responders, government, and others to effectively prevent, protect, respond and/or recover from emergency or catastrophic events the section manages and administers several federal grant programs that provide the funding for the planning, organizational, equipment, training and exercise needs.
The training and exercise program staff coordinate course development, deliver National Incident Management System (NIMS) training courses, and organize and facilitate state exercises to improve individual responders and government organizations ability to function in an emergency or disaster situation. In addition, this unit oversees the state’s Teen Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program.
The final unit, regional response, consists of four coordinators who provide technical support across four geographic regions to the eight regional hazardous materials response, four structural collapse search and rescue teams, the four regional bomb squads, the six special weapons and tactical teams, and eight water search and rescue teams. They also provide technical support to city, county, and tribal emergency managers and all other first responder disciplines. In coordination with the training and exercise program staff the northeast regional coordinator also oversee the department’s Emergency Management Support Team (EMST).
