Our Motto

Public Safety; Public Trust. We have adopted the international symbol for Emergency Management as our logo and our motto.

Our Vision

Jefferson County Homeland Security and Emergency   Management works to prepare and protect the citizens of Jefferson County, including the municipalities, from the effects of natural and human-caused disasters by working towards the development of a Disaster Resistant Community.

Our Mission

Jefferson County Homeland Security and Emergency Management's mission is to reduce the loss of lives and property and protection of the environment from all types of hazards through a comprehensive emergency management program consisting of preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.

Jefferson County has a comprehensive emergency management program that is a jurisdiction-wide system that provides for management and coordination of preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation activities for all hazards. The system encompasses all organizations, agencies, department, entities and individuals responsible for emergency management and homeland security functions, including the County as well as, all municipalities.

Emergency Management Principles 

Preparedness:

Preparedness Activities are measures to protect lives and property when threats cannot be controlled or when only partial protection can be achieved.

Examples of Preparedness include:

• Planning
• Updating the Emergency Operations Plan
• Preparing the Emergency Operations Center for activation
• Training
• Conducting exercises to test the effectiveness of plans
• Coordinating resources
• Developing Memorandums of Understanding with response partners

Response:

Response activities are official actions immediately before and during disaster impact designed to protect public safety and minimize physical damage. Response begins with the detection of a threat and ends with the stabilization of the situation after disaster's impact.

Examples of Response Activities include:

• Evacuation of dangerous areas
• Sheltering evacuees and pets
• Providing emergency medical care
• Search and rescue operations
• Securing impacted areas.

Recovery:

Recovery activities begin after disaster impact has been stabilized and seeks to restore lost functions. Recovery extends until the community is restored to a reasonable level of functionality. Recovery sometimes lasts many years.

Examples of Recovery Activities include:

• Debris removal
• Restoration of essential governmental or community services
• Restoration of infrastructure
• Provision of interim systems for caring for victims- including housing, clothing, and food.

Mitigation:

Mitigation activities try to eliminate the cause of disaster either by reducing the likelihood of its occurrence or limiting the magnitude of its negative effects.  Prevention of disasters before they happen.

Examples of Mitigation Activities include:

• Land use restrictions
• Floodplain regulations- regulations for building on steep slopes, relocation, elevation, or elimination of flood-prone structure
• Removing leaves and debris from around the home.