| About EMA
Johnson County's Emergency Management is responsible for the coordination of the Emergency Response activities of various law enforcement and fire departments, the Hazardous Material Response Team, hospital, medical and ambulance services, as well as Red Cross, Salvation Army, Health and Human Services agencies. The County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is the operating arm of the Johnson County Emergency Management Commission. The Commission is made up of the 11 mayors or their representative, the Sheriff or his or her representative, and a member of the Board of Supervisors. The EMA staff consists of two full-time employees. In order to fulfill its mission, the EMA staff is supported by the various departments and agencies listed above. These agencies supply a career and volunteer staff, which fluctuates between 450 and 500 professional emergency responders. A major function of the Emergency Management Agency is to support the responder agencies in safeguarding Johnson County during periods of disaster. The assistance given by EMA falls to four main categories, namely: Mitigation, Preparation, Response, and Recovery. In the long run, mitigation is the most important of these support functions. Hopefully, by mitigation, that is the eliminating or lessening of the impact of future disasters, we can reduce the suffering and financial loss for County residents. Through preparedness, Johnson County Emergency Management employees are constantly involved in Federal (FEMA) and State sponsored Emergency Management training courses. Additionally, the Johnson Emergency Management Agency assists and helps coordinate the activities, training and emergency exercises of local organizations. |