Emergency Management – About Us

Background

The Emergency Management department began as Pinellas County Civil Defense during the Cold War era of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Civil Defense focused on protecting the population from nuclear attack. Over the years, it became obvious that Pinellas County was vulnerable to a host of natural and technological hazards that were more likely to occur—and on a more frequent basis—than nuclear attack. That is why Civil Defense evolved into Emergency Management. Today, the Department of Emergency Management pursues a planning strategy that considers all potential hazards. We follow a classic framework called the “Four Phases of Emergency Management.” That means we plan for mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

This is a large and complex job in a jurisdiction of nearly one million residents. Our philosophy is that planning efforts are dynamic and constantly changing. Our task is to constantly develop, assess, test and update the county’s disaster preparedness plans. Our goal is to protect the lives and property of our citizens and visitors.

Jurisdiction

We provide the framework for disaster response and recovery for all of Pinellas County. Still, we encourage individual municipalities and Special Fire Control Districts to develop local emergency management programs. We support local programs, and those partnerships help to ensure that local jurisdictions can meet their specific needs in an emergency. As a result, every municipality in the county has designated a specific person to function as their Emergency Management Coordinator.

Services We Provide

• Develop, review and enhance the county’s disaster preparedness and recovery plans for all hazards
• Coordinate and distribute those plans countywide
• Operate, maintain and enhance the county’s Emergency Operations Center
• Manage and coordinate countywide response to natural and technological disasters
• Manage and coordinate countywide recovery from those disasters
• Coordinate the county’s disaster response and recovery needs with state and federal agencies
• Review and approve health care facility disaster plans as required by Florida state law
• Serve as the coordination point for federal disaster relief programs
• Develop and deliver public information and educational programs about disaster preparedness
• Plan, conduct and critique exercises that test and improve preparedness
• Develop and distribute guidelines for disaster planning and continuity of operations for businesses and industry
• Provide instruction on disaster planning and continuity of operations
• Survey county hazardous material locations under the Emergency Planning Community Right-to-Know Act.