The Office of Emergency Management was established by Chapter 2.68 of the County Code with responsibility for organizing and directing the preparedness efforts of the Emergency Management Organization of Los Angeles County. The office is the day-to-day Los Angeles County Operational Area coordinator for the entire geographic area of the county. This broad responsibility includes:
Planning and Coordination
- Maintaining an approved Operational Area Emergency Response Plan.
- Providing ongoing leadership and coordinating disaster plans and exercises with the 88 cities, 137 unincorporated communities and 288 special districts in the county.
- Assisting County departments to develop department emergency plans which address how they will perform both their non-deferrable missions and Operational Area duties during disasters.
- Assisting County departments with development of facility emergency plans for every occupied County facility.
- Supporting and advising the Board of Supervisors, Emergency Management Council and Emergency Preparedness Commission.
- Supporting and advising the Board of Supervisors in matters pertaining to their role as elected officials during emergencies and disasters.
Operations
- Maintaining the County Emergency Operations Center (CEOC) in a state of operational readiness, in partnership with the Sheriff’s Emergency Operations Bureau.
- Serving as on-call CEOC first responders on a 24-hour basis.
- Providing an OEM duty officer on a 24-hour basis to address inquiries and concerns from County, local, and state officials regarding potential or escalating emergency conditions.
Training
- Maintaining a cadre of CEOC team members trained in section and position responsibilities and use of the Emergency Management Information System Operational Area Response and Recovery System (OARRS).
- Providing ongoing training for county Department Emergency Coordinators and Building Emergency Coordinators.
Technical Operations
- Developing and maintaining the Operational Area Response and Recovery System (OARRS) linking County departments.
Public Education & Information
- Conducting public education campaigns for all hazards through the Emergency Survival Program (ESP), expos, and various media presentations in public venues. For more information, or to download documents, please visit www.lacounty.gov/emergency.
