Office of Emergency Management (OEM)

Office of Emergency Management (OEM)
Name	Office of Emergency Management
Abbreviation	OEM
Formed	varies by jurisdiction
Jurisdiction	local, regional, state, national
Headquarters	varies
Chief1 name	varies
Parent agency	varies

Contents

Overview

OEMs are jurisdictional authorities modeled after consolidated emergency management frameworks used in United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Japan, drawing doctrine from publications like the National Response Framework, National Incident Management System, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, Civil Contingencies Act 2004, and Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) programs. They maintain capabilities including incident coordination centers, situational awareness tools, logistics management, and public information units that coordinate with FEMA Region IV, Metropolitan Police Service, Toronto Public Health, New South Wales State Emergency Service, and Tokyo Metropolitan Government during crises.

Origins trace to wartime civil defense efforts exemplified by Office of Civilian Defense and United Kingdom Civil Defence, evolving through Cold War-era planning, the creation of Federal Emergency Management Agency in 1979, and reforms after events like Hurricane Andrew, Oklahoma City bombing, SARS outbreak, and Hurricane Katrina. Internationally, OEM structures adapted from Red Cross, United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination, and national reforms such as post-2001 restructuring under Department of Homeland Security and legislative measures like the Stafford Act and Civil Contingencies Act 2004.

OEM responsibilities encompass hazard identification and risk assessment informed by National Weather Service alerts, United States Geological Survey seismic monitoring, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control intelligence, and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projections. Functions include coordinating multi-agency response with entities like Fire Department of New York, Los Angeles County Fire Department, California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, Public Health England, conducting evacuation operations similar to those in Hurricane Irma responses, managing emergency shelters modeled on American Red Cross operations, and administering disaster recovery programs aligning with Federal Emergency Management Agency Individual Assistance and Small Business Administration disaster loans.

OEM governance varies: city OEMs report to mayors and councils as seen with New York City Office of Emergency Management; county OEMs coordinate with elected boards like Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors; state OEMs integrate with governors' offices such as California Office of Emergency Services; national counterparts interface with ministries like Ministry of Interior (Italy), Home Office (United Kingdom), and Ministry of Public Security (China). Organizational elements commonly include an incident command system based on Incident Command System, emergency operations centers akin to Joint Operations Center, logistics units mirroring Logistics Civil Augmentation Program, legal counsel referencing statutes such as the Stafford Act, and mutual aid coordinators aligned with Emergency Management Assistance Compact.

Planning uses risk assessments from Flood Insurance Rate Map, National Seismic Hazard Map, ClimateChange 2014 Synthesis Report, and threat assessments from FBI and Department of Homeland Security. Preparedness activities include continuity planning modeled on Continuity of Operations Plan guidance, stockpiling supplies per Strategic National Stockpile protocols, developing evacuation routes used in Hurricane Sandy plans, and community resilience initiatives inspired by 100 Resilient Cities and Community Emergency Response Team programs.

During incidents OEM activates emergency operations centers to implement the National Incident Management System and Incident Command System, coordinates multi-agency responses with Fire Department of New York, NYPD, Los Angeles Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard, National Guard, and international partners like World Health Organization during health emergencies. Operations include search and rescue integration with Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, hazardous materials response in coordination with Environmental Protection Agency regional teams, mass care services supported by American Red Cross, and logistics coordination using models from Logistics Civil Augmentation Program.

OEMs conduct regular training and exercises following doctrine from Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Exercise Program, partner with academic centers such as Naval Postgraduate School, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and collaborate with volunteer organizations including Community Emergency Response Team, St. John Ambulance, and Volunteer Fire Departments. Public education campaigns borrow messaging strategies from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization outreach, employing social media coordination used in Hurricane Harvey communications and alerting systems like Wireless Emergency Alerts and Emergency Alert System.

OEMs maintain mutual aid agreements such as the Emergency Management Assistance Compact and international cooperation mechanisms like International Search and Rescue Advisory Group, liaise with national agencies including Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Transportation, and coordinate with utilities, transit authorities like Metropolitan Transportation Authority, healthcare systems such as Veterans Health Administration, and non-governmental organizations including American Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières to ensure integrated, multi-jurisdictional responses during complex incidents.