Emergency Management
The Stephens County Emergency Management Agency is responsible for the management of all emergency preparedness program areas within the county. The primary role of the agency is to develop and implement comprehensive disaster planning, mitigation and response activities in Stephens County as provided by Georgia law.
Stephens County EMA, the local equivalent of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), works closely with these agencies (as well as dozens of others, both public and private) before, during and after emergencies and disasters to provide coordinated and comprehensive protection of lives and property. This is accomplished by providing community wide leadership, guidance, support, and coordination in the area of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.
Emergency Management was established in the United States by the Federal Defense Act of 1950, which created our nation’s Office of Civil Defense. This act is the foundation for the Emergency Management System that we have today. The Stephens County Emergency Management program is based on the requirements of the Georgia Emergency Management Act of 1981, as amended December 1992. This law also establishes the legal protection and authority of the Emergency Management Agency to work in times of a disaster.
The agency develops and maintains emergency plans for all types of natural, technological and man made disasters and other emergencies that threaten the county, and provides the analysis and recommendations necessary to make decisions that will effectively save lives and protect property in such emergencies.
The agency also coordinates Emergency Management Services for the county by providing leadership, planning, education and resources to protect lives, property and the environment.
In times of emergency or disaster, Stephens County EMA coordinates the response of local agencies ensuring the most appropriate resources are dispatched to the impacted area. Through its major programs, EMA works with local governments, volunteer organizations and the private sector throughout Stephens County to develop disaster preparedness plans and mitigation projects, and provide training and exercise activities.