Jeana Williams, Coordinator Van Buren County OEM Post Office Box 60 Clinton, Arkansas 72031-0060 (501) 253-5377 vlemc@adem.arkansas.gov |
 |
| Emergency Management |
 |
The Van Buren County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) plans and prepares for emergencies, educates the public about preparedness, coordinates emergency response and recovery, and collects and disseminates emergency information. To accomplish this mission, the Van Buren County OEM coordinates a disciplined unit of emergency management personnel, including first responders, community partners, planners, and an administrative support staff; all of which identify and respond to various hazards. Our purpose is best described as managing risk, so our communities are able to better prepare for environmental or technical hazards and deal with the disasters that they may cause. It is our goal to emphasize to our citizens that emergency management and preparedness is not solely a governmental responsibility. Individuals are responsible for protecting their own lives and property, as well as the safety of family members and neighbors. However, when an individual or community does not have the means to protect themselves, they can rely on the resources and capabilities of their local emergency management response team. In some cases, the support of a few neighbors or a community is sufficient; however, in more extreme cases, the support of a broad network of public, nonprofit, and private organizations is necessary to respond to and recover from major disasters.
Office of Emergency Management (OEM) - What do we do?
The Van Buren County Office of Emergency Services is responsible for the overall safety of Van Buren County residents, business owners and visitors in the event of a crisis, emergency or disaster. Our goal is to:
Plan - Develop plans, policies and procedures to help us manage any type of crisis. Every plan is an extension of the base plan or Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).
Prepare - Take the necessary steps to ready the community for an impending emergency.
Respond - Activate the Emergency Operations Center to support the incident and manage resource acquisitions.
Recover - Assist citizens and businesses in recovery efforts including damage assessments and federal reimbursement.
Partner/Coordinate – Work with Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS, Public Works, Board of Ed, Public Health, Citizen Services, Non-Profits, Municipalities, and Business Owners as well as many others.
Train and Exercise - With partners to ensure knowledge and skills are up to date, test plans and to "maintain readiness and competency".
Mitigate - Identify risks and vulnerabilities and take necessary steps to lessen them in order to reduce the impact of an event.
|
|
