Dept.of Emergency Management
9-1-1

Joy A. Sanders - Coordinator

GCDEM Links

The office is served by a staff of four. The GCDEM mission statement can best be summed up with only four words. They are:

MITIGATION:   Participate in state-sponsored mitigation activities.

  1. Provide local data, upon request, for development of hazard mitigation activities in support of state mitigation activities.
  2. Incorporate local mitigation activities in disaster operations.
  3. Examine and specify possible incentives to undertake pre-and post event mitigation. Establish and maintain liaison with county and municipal agencies with mitigation interest to assist with development of plans and grant applications  for available state and federal assistance.
  4. Initiate, in cooperation with the state, a multi-hazard identification and risk assessment to assist with the development of a national baseline of people and property at risk to various hazards.

PREPAREDNESS:   Enhance existing preparedness activities by:

  1. Develop local training and education in emergency management to insure individuals and key groups with emergency management roles have needed knowledge, skills and abilities to perform effectively.

    2.
  2. Review additional funding sources and options within your jurisdiction for the acquisition of additional personnel, resources and equipment utilizing information gained from drills and actual disasters to determine needs.
  3. Establish a comprehensive local exercise/drill program to test and evaluate all aspects of your jurisdiction's emergency management system.
    1. Conduct drills/exercises based on highest probable threats and multithreat scenarios, based on local jurisdictions actual meteorological, geological and technological hazards.
    2. Utilize existing EOPs, SOPs, procedures and revise as post exercise critiques and evaluations require.
  4. Strengthening local emergency management through a partnership of city,county, voluntary agencies, business and industry, and individual citizens focused on saving lives and property and a comprehensive riskbased, all hazards emergency management system

RESPONSE: Provide coordination and support to local, state and federal response activities to insure most effective and efficient use of local personnel, Equipment and resources. These include, but are not limited to:

  1. Response and coordination from the designated fixed, mobile or temporary EOC.
  2. Documentation through existing (EIS "paper") system to insure a complete and documented record of events, actions and personnel involved in response activities and to provide justification for possible federal/state disaster recovery assistance.
  3. Post event review and critique to determine if sufficient resource were available, plans and procedures were sufficient for needs and recommend necessary upgrade actions to state/federal authorities as pan of future preparedness funding and activities.

RECOVERY: Provide necessary support to local government, state and federal disaster recovery operations and activities. This includes, but is not limited to.

  1. Providing a system for rapid local assessment of damages/impact to determine if recovery is beyond the capability of the local government(s).
  2. Provide logistical support in the establishment of state and federal Disaster Information Centers, Disaster Field Offices and other disaster relief facilities
  3. Assist with coordination of local officials for disaster survey and other related recovery actions.
  4. Assist state in preparation of recovery related mitigation planning and other post disaster recovery functions.
  5. Assist with coordination of long term disaster documentation activities.

WHAT WE ARE AND WHAT WE AREN'T

The GCDEM is charged with responding to natural and man-made hazards such as tornadoes, chemical spills, chemical related fires, etc. This office works on an agency to agency basis rather than a one on one, individual type situation. We do not deal with indigents, housing problems of the poor, social problems or dispensation of funds for the payment of utility bills. We do not negotiate or mediate disputes with an individual and his/her insurance company after a fire or large scale disaster such as a flood or tornado. We will, however refer you to agencies that are at your disposal after a large scale disaster. An example would be Small Business Administration after the loss or damage of a business due to floods or tornadoes in the area of your business location.

The GCDEM also houses the administrative branch of 9-1-1, which deals with the budget, address assignments, equipment purchase and re-placement, data management, dissemination of data to other emergency agencies, and a variety of other duties.

Emergency calls are not answered in this office. Emergency calls emanating from an address within the City of Hot Springs, are receive at the Hot Springs Police Department for proper dispatch. Those calls made outside the city of Hot Springs are received at the Garland County Sheriffs Office for dispatch to one of their units or if it happens to be a "fire call" or someone in need of an ambulance, the call is transferred to that agency by way of a one button transfer. St. Joseph's Lifemobile has volunteered to dispatch for the ten volunteer fire departments.

 

GCDEM LINKS

For weather -  http://www.srh.noaa.gov
For current weather conditions -  http://www.adem.state.ar.us
For FEMA -  http://www.fema.gov
For Red Cross -  http://www.redcross.org
For the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management -  http://www.adem.state.ar.us
For RACES -  http://www.races.net
For Disaster Resources Guide 2000 -  http://www.disaster-resource.com