Iowa Association of Emergency Managers

Iowa Association of Emergency Managers
Name	Iowa Association of Emergency Managers
Type	non-profit association
Founded	1950s
Headquarters	Des Moines, Iowa
Region served	Iowa
Leader title	President

Iowa Association of Emergency Managers The Iowa Association of Emergency Managers is a professional organization serving county, municipal, and tribal emergency management practitioners across Iowa. It provides training, coordination, advocacy, and resource-sharing for local emergency managers, while engaging with federal, state, and regional partners such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Iowa Department of Public Health, Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division, and neighboring state agencies. The association supports planning for hazards including tornadoes, floods, winter storms, and technological incidents, aligning activities with national standards from entities like the Department of Homeland Security and National Emergency Management Association.

History

The association traces its roots to post-World War II civil defense efforts and mid-20th century county emergency coordination initiatives involving actors such as the Civil Defense Act of 1950 era organizations, regional Red Cross chapters, and university extension services like Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Early milestones included collaborations with the National Weather Service offices in Des Moines and Quad Cities, and participation in Cold War-era planning with the Federal Civil Defense Administration. During the 1970s and 1980s the association adapted to federal reform influenced by the creation of Federal Emergency Management Agency and later responded to major events such as the Iowa floods of 1993 and the 1995 Iowa derecho impacts, integrating lessons from tabletop exercises modeled on Continuity of Operations Plan frameworks. In the 21st century the group expanded ties to national networks including the National Governors Association, National Incident Management System, and interprofessional collaborations with American Red Cross and university research centers including University of Iowa and Iowa State University.

Organization and Membership

Membership comprises elected county emergency managers, appointed municipal emergency coordinators, tribal emergency planners, and allied professionals from entities like Iowa Department of Public Safety, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa National Guard, and public health agencies including Polk County Health Department. The association maintains committees reflecting specialties such as hazard mitigation, continuity planning, volunteer coordination with organizations like Community Emergency Response Team, and liaison roles with federal bodies like Department of Health and Human Services and Environmental Protection Agency. Leadership typically includes an executive board, regional representatives associated with multicounty jurisdictions, and subcommittees that coordinate with institutions like Iowa League of Cities and Iowa County Attorneys Association for legal and policy guidance.

Programs and Training

Training programs emphasize incident command systems consistent with National Incident Management System doctrine, FEMA professional development courses including IS-100, IS-700 series, and advanced workshops that partner with academic centers such as University of Iowa College of Public Health and Iowa State University College of Engineering. The association organizes exercises incorporating scenarios based on historical events like the Great Flood of 1993, the 1998 Iowa derecho, and pandemic planning aligned with lessons from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. Collaborative training initiatives involve emergency medical services such as Iowa EMS Association, hazardous materials response coordination with Iowa HazMat Task Force, and volunteer mobilization through the American Red Cross and VOAD partners.

Emergency Planning and Response

The association supports development of multi-jurisdictional emergency operations plans, hazard mitigation plans compliant with Stafford Act requirements for disaster declarations, and sheltering strategies coordinated with Iowa Department of Human Services and faith-based partners including Salvation Army. It fosters interoperable communications standards engaging entities like Iowa Communications Network, county dispatch centers, and regional fusion centers tied to Fusion Center networks. Response frameworks integrate public messaging with media partners such as Iowa Public Radio and local broadcasters, and leverage partnerships with academic research from University of Iowa Hydroscience and Engineering for flood modeling and Iowa State University Extension for community resilience.

Grants and Funding

The association assists members in securing federal preparedness grants administered by Federal Emergency Management Agency programs including Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, Homeland Security Grant Program, and Public Assistance funding, while navigating state allocations from the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. It provides grant-writing support and fiscal compliance guidance linked to statutes such as the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and works with financial offices in county governments and regional councils of governments like Mid-Iowa Council of Governments and Northeast Iowa Regional Council of Governments to manage subaward distribution and audit preparedness.

Conferences and Outreach

Annual conferences convene practitioners, subject-matter experts, and partners including speakers from FEMA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and academia such as University of Iowa, featuring workshops on topics from floodplain management to active shooter response modeled after case studies like the Sutherland Springs church shooting and mass casualty exercises used by National Mass Fatality Management guidance. Outreach campaigns engage with public information officers from county emergency management offices, collaborate with nonprofit organizations including United Way and Salvation Army, and coordinate preparedness messaging during national observances like National Preparedness Month.

Partnerships and Mutual Aid

The association fosters mutual aid agreements among counties and municipalities, interfacing with statewide mutual aid compacts, neighboring state emergency management agencies such as Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, and regional entities like the Midwest Governors' Association. It supports technical assistance through partnerships with federal research laboratories like US Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for river forecasting, and collaborates with volunteer organizations including AmeriCorps and Community Emergency Response Team programs to expand surge capacity during declared disasters.

Category:Organizations based in Iowa Category:Emergency management in the United States