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| Interstate Conference of Emergency Managers | |
|---|---|
| Name | Interstate Conference of Emergency Managers |
| Abbreviation | ICEM |
| Formation | 1940s |
| Type | Professional association |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Region served | United States |
| Membership | State, territorial, tribal emergency management agencies |
Interstate Conference of Emergency Managers The Interstate Conference of Emergency Managers is a professional association linking state, territorial, and tribal emergency management officials across the United States. It functions as a forum for coordination among agencies involved in disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery and connects leaders from agencies, commissions, and offices to federal partners and non‑governmental organizations. The organization engages with public safety, homeland security, public health, transportation, energy, and environmental entities to strengthen resilience against natural hazards and technological incidents.
Founded in the mid‑20th century amid expanding civil defense and disaster coordination efforts, the organization emerged alongside entities such as Federal Emergency Management Agency, American Red Cross, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Army Corps of Engineers, and Department of Homeland Security. Early collaborations involved counterparts like Civil Defense, Office of Emergency Preparedness, National Governors Association, United States Public Health Service, National Fire Protection Association, and American Public Works Association. Throughout the Cold War era, it interacted with institutions including Defense Civil Preparedness Agency, Atomic Energy Commission, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Environmental Protection Agency. In the wake of major events—Hurricane Katrina, September 11 attacks, Northridge earthquake (1994), Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Maria, and 2011 Joplin tornado—the conference evolved to emphasize interjurisdictional coordination with partners such as United States Geological Survey, National Weather Service, FEMA Urban Search and Rescue, National Guard Bureau, and Department of Transportation.
Membership comprises state and territorial emergency management directors, tribal emergency managers, and senior officials from agencies like State Police, National Governors Association, Council of State Governments, Association of State Floodplain Managers, International Association of Emergency Managers, and National Emergency Management Association. The organizational structure mirrors models used by National Association of Counties, United States Conference of Mayors, International City/County Management Association, and Council on Foreign Relations in governance practices, with committees focused on operations, mitigation, continuity, and resilience. Liaison relationships extend to United States Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Indian Health Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs. Affiliate members include representatives from American Water Works Association, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, American Public Transportation Association, Federal Highway Administration, and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
Initiatives address hazard mitigation, situational awareness, emergency operations center capability, and recovery planning, and involve collaborations with National Incident Management System, Incident Command System, National Response Framework, Whole Community, and Community Emergency Response Team. Programs often align with standards from NFPA 1600, ISO 22301, National Flood Insurance Program, Stafford Act, and Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act implementation guidance. Cross‑sector initiatives partner with American Meteorological Society, Association of State Floodplain Managers, National Association of State Foresters, Soil Conservation Service, and United States Geological Survey for hazard mapping, continuity of operations, and critical infrastructure protection involving North American Electric Reliability Corporation and Transportation Security Administration.
The conference sponsors professional development modeled on curricula from FEMA Emergency Management Institute, National Fire Academy, Harvard Kennedy School, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Stanford Center for Professional Development. Course offerings include incident management, debris management, disaster behavioral health, and recovery planning, drawing subject matter experts from American Red Cross, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, and Corporation for National and Community Service. Credentialing and accreditation pathways are coordinated with Emergency Management Accreditation Program, International Association of Emergency Managers, and academic programs at University of Washington, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, Texas A&M University, and George Washington University.
Advocacy efforts interface with congressional committees such as United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States House Committee on Homeland Security, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and federal agencies including FEMA, Department of Homeland Security, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of Health and Human Services. The conference forms partnerships with National Governors Association, National League of Cities, American Public Works Association, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, National Emergency Management Association, National Association of Counties, and private sector stakeholders like American Petroleum Institute and International Association of Fire Chiefs to influence policy on mitigation funding, hazard mapping, and disaster assistance programs.
Annual conferences and regional workshops convene officials, practitioners, and partners in formats similar to events hosted by FEMA, International Association of Emergency Managers, National Hurricane Conference, National Disaster Resilience Competition, and National Tornado Summit. Sessions feature table‑top exercises, full‑scale exercises, and webinars incorporating expertise from National Weather Service, United States Geological Survey, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Red Cross, and National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. The conference coordinates joint exercises with Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, National Guard, Transportation Security Administration, and state fusion centers.
Funding sources include state appropriations, membership dues, grants from FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, FEMA Preparedness Grants, Department of Homeland Security grants, philanthropic support from organizations such as Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and partnerships with private sector entities including General Electric, ExxonMobil, and Verizon Communications. Resource sharing leverages tools and data from National Weather Service, USGS National Seismic Hazard Mapping Project, FEMA National Risk Index, Hazus, and university research centers like Natural Hazards Center and Centre for Emergency Management.
Category:Emergency management organizations in the United States