EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Per Texas Emergency Management Statute, Chapter 418, each jurisdiction shall maintain an emergency management program which includes all phases of emergency management.  El Paso City and County established a program in 1987.

The mission of the El Paso Office of Emergency Management is to cultivate a resilient community through collaborative partnerships to prevent, prepare, mitigate, respond and recover from large-scale emergencies and disasters. 

El Paso OEM assesses risks and vulnerabilities to regional hazards and develops strategies to eliminate or reduce risk to life and property, and maintains strong partnerships with local, state, federal, nonprofit and private agencies to address those hazards in a collaborative way.

El Paso OEM maintains the City/County Emergency Management Basic Plan and its associated annexes and Continuity of Operation Plans (COOPs) for city and county departments.  OEM maintains a training and exercise program to test these plans and regional capabilities.  OEM also provides disaster training to the community with Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training.

During large-scale emergencies or disasters, activates the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) during large-scale events/emergencies or disasters where decision-makers from multiple response agencies support response agencies in the field with resources.  OEM also provides emergency alerts/notifications with vital information and instructions to the community through media, radio, and landline phones.  Citizens and visitors can register to the Emergency Alert System to receive these messages on their cell phone and/or email.

If there is a declared disaster, OEM coordinates to provide the community with critical supplies, damage assessments and assistance with federal reimbursement requirements.