Emergency Management

Mission

The Emergency Management Department is in charge of developing and maintaining emergency preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery plans for Lac qui Parle County and keeping them current/updated along with the FEMA required Hazard Mitigation Plan and the County's Emergency Operations Plan. Emergency Management assists local Police, Fire, EMS, and Sheriff's departments in writing grants for emergency related equipment, training, and exercising as requested. The department is in charge of coordinating disaster relief and assistance through the state HSEM and FEMA and coordinating resources and supplies as responders and officials request them when an incident does happen.

The Emergency Manager is in charge of the Lac qui Parle Emergency Operations Center during a disaster and helps to coordinate resources, personnel, and public information in support of on-scene incident command.

Roles & Responsibilities

1. Updating and keeping current the local Emergency Operations Plan and revising according the the Minnesota MnWalk Guidelines released by HSEM annually.
2. Damage assessments and emergency declarations after incidents. 
3. Local liaison for the Department of Public Safety and the US Department of Homeland Security. 
4. Chairs the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) which meets as needed with local emergency stakeholders. 
5. Maintaining a FEMA approved Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan and enhancing community mitigation activities.
6. Providing training and developing exercises for County Emergency Responders
7. Researching and writing grants related to emergency equipment
8. Public Outreach (recent emergencies/disasters, preparedness strategies, etc)
9. Weather Information
10. Addressing FEMA's 32 Core Capabilities through Planning, Organization, Equipment, Training, and Exercising

Lac qui Parle County contracts its Emergency Management Services to Paramount Planning, a public safety consulting business based in Minnesota. The owner, Blain Johnson, serves as the Lac qui Parle County Emergency Manager.