Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management
Encyclopedia
The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is a department
of the government of Oklahoma
responsible for coordinating the response to a natural disaster
that has occurred in the State and that has overwhelmed the abilities of local authorities. This is achieved primarily through the development and maintenance of a comprehensive statewide emergency management
plan. OEM is responsible for coordinating the efforts of the federal government
with other state departments and agencies, county and municipal governments and school boards, and with private agencies that have a role in emergency management.
The Director of Emergency Management is appointed by the Governor of Oklahoma
with the advise and consent of the Oklahoma Senate
, and serves at the pleasure of the Governor. The Director is head of the Department as well as the chief advisor to the Governor on emergency management.
The Department of Emergency Management was created in 2003 during the term of Governor Brad Henry
by the Oklahoma Emergency Management Act of 2003
.
and under the executive control of the Department's Director. Under Governor Mary Fallin
, Michael C. Thompson is serving as Secretary (since 2011) and Albert Ashwood
is serving as Director (since 1997).
, the Oklahoma State Department of Health
, the Oklahoma National Guard
, and the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security
. During times when the Governor of Oklahoma
declares a state of emergency
due to natural disasters, all of these agencies report to and receive orders from the Governor through OEM.
These relationship only applies however when the state of emergency is from a disaster. During non-disaster time, the Department of Public Safety, which is responsible for general law enforcemnt of the State through the Oklahoma Highway Patrol
, is the Governor's chief public safety
agent. OEM reports to the Office of Homeland Security, during emergencies or otherwise, on all matters related to homeland security
or an act of terrorism
. The State Health Department is the lead agency on disasters caused by the spread of infectious diseases or bioterrorism
.
The National Guard, under the direction of the Adjutant General of Oklahoma
, becomes the lead agency on any matter (emergency management
related or otherwise) whenever the Governor so directs or when the Governor declares martial law
.
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
of the government of Oklahoma
Government of Oklahoma
The government of the US State of Oklahoma, established by the Oklahoma Constitution, is a republican democracy modeled after the Federal government of the United States. The state government has three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial...
responsible for coordinating the response to a natural disaster
Natural disaster
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
that has occurred in the State and that has overwhelmed the abilities of local authorities. This is achieved primarily through the development and maintenance of a comprehensive statewide emergency management
Emergency management
Emergency management is the generic name of an interdisciplinary field dealing with the strategic organizational management processes used to protect critical assets of an organization from hazard risks that can cause events like disasters or catastrophes and to ensure the continuance of the...
plan. OEM is responsible for coordinating the efforts of the federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
with other state departments and agencies, county and municipal governments and school boards, and with private agencies that have a role in emergency management.
The Director of Emergency Management is appointed by the Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
with the advise and consent of the Oklahoma Senate
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of Senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution....
, and serves at the pleasure of the Governor. The Director is head of the Department as well as the chief advisor to the Governor on emergency management.
The Department of Emergency Management was created in 2003 during the term of Governor Brad Henry
Brad Henry
Charles Bradford "Brad" Henry was the 26th Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2002...
by the Oklahoma Emergency Management Act of 2003
Oklahoma Emergency Management Act of 2003
The Oklahoma Emergency Management Act of 2003 is an Oklahoma state law that replaced the Oklahoma Civil Defense and Emergency Resources Management Act of 1967 as the primary state law detailing emergency management in Oklahoma...
.
Mission
The mission of OEM is to minimize the effects of attack, technological and natural disasters upon the people of Oklahoma by preparing, implementing and exercising preparedness plans, assisting local government subdivisions with training for and mitigation of disasters, and by coordinating actual disaster response/recovery operations.Leadership
The Department is under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and SecurityOklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security
The Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security is a member of the Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet. The Secretary is appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the Oklahoma Senate, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Secretary serves as the chief advisor to the Governor on public safety and...
and under the executive control of the Department's Director. Under Governor Mary Fallin
Mary Fallin
Mary Fallin is the 27th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. She was a U.S. Representative for from 2007 until 2011....
, Michael C. Thompson is serving as Secretary (since 2011) and Albert Ashwood
Albert Ashwood
Albert Ashwood is American emergency management official from the State of Oklahoma. Ashwood is the current Director of the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management . Ashwood has served as OEM Director since 1997 when he was appointed by Republican Governor of Oklahoma Frank Keating...
is serving as Director (since 1997).
Functions
The Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is the lead agency on all matters related to responding to and mitigation threats caused by natural disasters. To perform this function, the Department works closely with the Oklahoma Department of Public SafetyOklahoma Department of Public Safety
The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety is a department of the government of Oklahoma. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security, DPS provides for the safety of Oklahomans and the administration of justice in the state...
, the Oklahoma State Department of Health
Oklahoma State Department of Health
The Oklahoma State Department of Health is a department of the government of Oklahoma under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Health. The Department is responsible for protecting the health of all Oklahomans and providing other essential human services...
, the Oklahoma National Guard
Oklahoma National Guard
The Oklahoma National Guard, a division of the Oklahoma Department of the Military, is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It comprises both Army and Air National Guard components. The Governor of Oklahoma is Commander-in-Chief of the Oklahoma National...
, and the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security
Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security
The Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security is an agency of State of Oklahoma that is responsible for reducing the State's vulnerability to acts of terrorism and for minimizing and recovering the damage caused by terrorist attacks...
. During times when the Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
declares a state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
due to natural disasters, all of these agencies report to and receive orders from the Governor through OEM.
These relationship only applies however when the state of emergency is from a disaster. During non-disaster time, the Department of Public Safety, which is responsible for general law enforcemnt of the State through the Oklahoma Highway Patrol
Oklahoma Highway Patrol
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is a major state law enforcement agency of the government of Oklahoma. It is a division of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol was legislatively created in 1937 due to the growing problem of motor vehicle accidents, the expansion of a...
, is the Governor's chief public safety
Public Safety
Public safety involves the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety of the general public from significant danger, injury/harm, or damage, such as crimes or disasters .-See also:* By nation...
agent. OEM reports to the Office of Homeland Security, during emergencies or otherwise, on all matters related to homeland security
Homeland security
Homeland security is an umbrella term for security efforts to protect states against terrorist activity. Specifically, is a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the U.S., reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do...
or an act of terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
. The State Health Department is the lead agency on disasters caused by the spread of infectious diseases or bioterrorism
Bioterrorism
Bioterrorism is terrorism involving the intentional release or dissemination of biological agents. These agents are bacteria, viruses, or toxins, and may be in a naturally occurring or a human-modified form. For the use of this method in warfare, see biological warfare.-Definition:According to the...
.
The National Guard, under the direction of the Adjutant General of Oklahoma
Adjutant General of Oklahoma
The Adjutant General of Oklahoma is the highest ranking military official in the state of Oklahoma, subordinate only to the Governor of Oklahoma...
, becomes the lead agency on any matter (emergency management
Emergency management
Emergency management is the generic name of an interdisciplinary field dealing with the strategic organizational management processes used to protect critical assets of an organization from hazard risks that can cause events like disasters or catastrophes and to ensure the continuance of the...
related or otherwise) whenever the Governor so directs or when the Governor declares martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
.
History
The Department of Emergency Management was originally created as the Department of Civil Defense by legislative action in 1951. Soon after its creation, the Civil Defense agency and the Department of Emergency Resources Management were combined into one unified disaster aid organization, known as the Oklahoma Department of Civil Emergency Management. In 2003 the agency was renamed the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. Today it is the central point of contact for coordination of four closely allied functions: Hazard Mitigation, Community Preparedness, Emergency Response and Disaster Recovery.Budget
The budget of the Department of Emergency Management is divided between its operating fund, which is used to run administrative operations of the Department, and its special projects fund, which is used to respond to and recover from disaster. For fiscal year 2011, the operating fund is budgeted at $6.1 million and the special projects fund is budgeted at $53.5 million.Divisions
- Hazard Mitigation Division - assists local communities identify and implement long-term hazard mitigation measures
- Community Preparedness Division - provides forum for coordination between federal, state, and local agencies in responding to disasters
- Emergency Response Division - coordinats State emergency response opeerations and oversees Emergency Operations Center
- Disaster Recovery Division - implements procedures to deliver State and Federal aid to persons affected by emergencies
- Administrative Division - provides central direction to entire Department
See also
- United States Department of Homeland SecurityUnited States Department of Homeland SecurityThe United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
- Federal Emergency Management AgencyFederal Emergency Management AgencyThe Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
- Oklahoma Highway PatrolOklahoma Highway PatrolThe Oklahoma Highway Patrol is a major state law enforcement agency of the government of Oklahoma. It is a division of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol was legislatively created in 1937 due to the growing problem of motor vehicle accidents, the expansion of a...