Emergency Management

The Howard County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) develops and maintains emergency management plans, which encompass response, recovery, mitigation, and protection. OEM also provides guidance to support agencies on the development of disaster management plans. Staff provides countywide planning as well as training and exercise programs to help the County prepare for natural, technological, and/or man-made emergencies. In addition, OEM staff manage and coordinate the County's Emergency Operations Center during times of emergency.

About

The Howard County emergency management program’s mission is to provide centralization, coordination, and facilitation of multi-agency emergency planning, and to minimize and reduce the impacts of natural and human-caused disasters through proactive prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. The vision is of a resilient county that is safe, secure, and prepared for emergencies and disasters with the support of a robust emergency management program committed to protecting all residents, businesses, and visitors, to preserving the quality of life and the environment, and to quickly recovering and returning to normalcy whenever and however impacted.

Programs & Resources

Local Emergency Planning Commitee

The purpose of the Howard County LEPC is to enhance Howard County’s preparedness and response to hazardous materials incidents by involving the government, private businesses, non-profit organizations, and citizens in planning and preparing for such an incident. The Howard County LEPC will also act as an advisory committee to the Howard County Government in regards to emergency preparedness and response for hazardous materials and will fulfill any and all additional requirements articulated under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA). The EPCRA was enacted by Congress in 1986 Congress to ensure that the government and the public had access to the information needed to plan for chemical emergencies. EPCRA required each state to establish a State Emergency Response Commission (SERC), to create local emergency planning districts, and to establish an LEPC in each district. In addition to fulfilling its role with respect to hazardous chemicals, the Howard County LEPC has expanded its scope to include preparedness for all hazards and all communities.

ReadyHoCo

Preparedness begins with understanding your local hazards. A hazard is any potential source of harm or difficulty and may be natural or manmade. High-risk hazards have a high likelihood of local occurrence and may result in serious consequences to life safety, property, critical infrastructure, the environment, and the economy. Check out our Ready HoCo page to learn more about hazards specific to Howard County.

Ready HoCo

Howard County Community Organizations Active in Disaster

The Howard County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) is a collaborative effort of community stakeholders, each having an equal role in the organization. Their goal is to organize and deploy community resources in an efficient and timely manner, effectively contributing to each phase of a disaster. The Howard County COAD hopes to provide opportunities for community organizations to get involved to make the community and its members safer and more prepared for threats of all kinds. The COAD is a coordinating organization and does not assume direct operational responsibility in any disaster situation.

Please visit www.HoCoCOAD.org for further information about COAD, including active projects and how to join! Please email HoCOAD@gmail.com for all inquiries.