Emergency Management

Overview

Emergency Management

Emergency Management in the City of Redlands is coordinated within the Fire Department. Emergency Management is the framework for which companies, communities, and organizations respond to natural and man-made disasters and acts of terrorism.

Rich Sessler, Fire Chief
Emergency Operations Manager

35 Cajon Street, Suite 12
Redlands, CA 92373
(909) 798-7600

What is Emergency Management?

Emergency Management is the framework for which companies, communities, and organizations respond to natural and man-made disasters and acts of terrorism.  Emergency management is focused on mitigating the risks, preparing for possible catastrophes and disasters, responding to threats or actual disasters and recovering from disaster.

Emergency Management is comprised of four key components:

  • Preparedness
  • Mitigation
  • Response
  • Recovery

This four-part concept was adopted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State Office of Emergency Services (OES).

Mitigation

Preventing future emergencies or minimizing their effects includes any activities that prevent an emergency, reduce the chance of an Emergency happening, or reduce the damaging effects of unavoidable emergencies. 

Mitigation activities take place before and after emergencies.

  • Includes any activities that prevent an emergency, reduce the chance of an emergency happening, or reduce the damaging effects of unavoidable emergencies.

Preparedness

Preparing to handle an emergency includes plans or preparations made to save lives and to help response and rescue operations.  

Preparedness activities take place before an emergency occurs.

  • Evacuation plans and stocking food and water are both examples of preparedness.

Response

Includes actions taken to save lives and prevent further property damage in an emergency situation. Response is putting your preparedness plans into action. 

Response activities take place during an emergency.

  • Seeking shelter from an Earthquake, Fire, Flood or turning off gas valves in an earthquake are both response activities.

Recovery

Recovering from an emergency includes taken actions to return to a normal or an even safer situation following an emergency. 

Recovery activities take place after an emergency.

  • Recovery includes getting financial assistance to help pay for the repairs.