Emergency Management

Disaster strikes anytime and anywhere. It takes many forms - a hurricane, a tornado, a flood, a fire or a hazardous spill, an act of nature, or an act of terrorism. The disaster builds over days or weeks, or hits suddenly, without warning.

Provisions

Every year, millions of Americans face disasters and their terrifying consequences. Quite often, our city and surrounding residents become affected by these events. The City of St. Charles Emergency Management provides for:

  • Effective and orderly governmental control and coordination of emergency operations in emergencies within the scope of Missouri Statutes
  • Develops and maintains the entire city's Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan
  • Coordinates emergency management activities, services and programs within the city including:
    • Teaching people how to get through a disaster. Including CERT team training, CPR and first aid, and disaster planning for families and businesses
    • Helping equip the city's first responders
    • Training and emergency simulations
    • Reviews and provides technical assistance for all health care facilities (hospitals, nursing homes, adult living facilities, and ambulatory surgical disaster centers) disaster plans, and schools
  • Serves as liaison to the State Division of Emergency Management and other local emergency management agencies and organizations
  • Serves as the liaison and the coordinator of municipality requests for state and federal assistance during disasters

Homeland security measures are undertaken as part of a cooperative effort between the various first responder agencies in the City of St. Charles, St. Charles County, State of Missouri and federal agencies.

Focus

Preparedness activities center on prevention and incident response. The St. Charles city Fire Department works to support the prevention activities of the St. Charles Police Department and other law enforcement agencies by maintaining a constant vigilance for indicators of terrorist activities. Unusual activities that are observed by fire personnel are forwarded immediately to law enforcement.

Response activities that have been undertaken by the St. Charles Fire Department include procurement and placement of weapons of mass destruction response equipment on fire apparatus, weapons of mass destruction training, medical management training, and mass decontamination training. Training is an ongoing process that takes into account the latest developments to combat terrorism.

For more information concerning homeland security, visit the Department of Homeland Security website.