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| Tulsa County Emergency Management | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tulsa County Emergency Management |
| Formed | 1950s |
| Jurisdiction | Tulsa County, Oklahoma |
| Headquarters | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Parent agency | Tulsa County |
Tulsa County Emergency Management
Tulsa County Emergency Management is the primary emergency management office for Tulsa County, Oklahoma, coordinating preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery activities across municipal, tribal, and regional partners. The office works with local entities such as the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma, state organizations including the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, federal partners like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and regional institutions such as the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office to manage hazards ranging from tornado outbreaks to hazardous materials incidents.
Tulsa County Emergency Management operates within Tulsa County and interfaces with the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Osage Nation, the Cherokee Nation, the Muskogee (Creek) Nation and neighboring counties including Rogers County, Oklahoma and Wagoner County, Oklahoma. It maintains coordination with the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security and federal actors including United States Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency regional staff, and regional healthcare systems such as the Saint Francis Health System and Saint John Health System. The office supports incident management structures compatible with the National Incident Management System and Incident Command System doctrines used across agencies like the Tulsa Fire Department and the Tulsa Police Department.
The agency traces its roots to mid-20th-century civil defense initiatives influenced by national programs such as the Federal Civil Defense Administration and later reorganization under the Stafford Act era policies administered by Federal Emergency Management Agency. Tulsa County's emergency management activities expanded after significant events including the 1970s and 1980s severe weather episodes and post‑9/11 homeland security priorities driven by the Homeland Security Act of 2002. The department has adapted practices from historical responses in the region, referencing incidents like the 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado and coordinated with urban planning entities including the Tulsa Metropolitan Association of Governments.
The organizational structure aligns with models used by county emergency management agencies across the United States and includes emergency management directors, operations, planning, logistics, and public information sections interacting with partners such as the Tulsa County Commissioners, the Tulsa County Emergency Medical Services, and specialized units in agencies like the Oklahoma National Guard and American Red Cross. Leadership positions coordinate with elected officials from the Tulsa County Board of Commissioners and liaise with municipal emergency managers from the City of Broken Arrow, City of Jenks, Oklahoma, and City of Owasso, Oklahoma. The office uses interoperable communications systems compatible with agencies including County Emergency Communications Center and regional dispatch centers.
Key responsibilities include hazard identification, risk assessment, community preparedness programs, emergency planning, continuity of operations planning, public warning, and recovery planning. The agency provides services to schools such as Union Public Schools (Tulsa), utilities like Public Service Company of Oklahoma, transportation partners including Tulsa International Airport, and critical infrastructure owners including Williams Companies. Public outreach involves coordination with civic institutions like the Tulsa Regional Chamber, non‑profit partners such as the Salvation Army, and volunteer organizations like Community Emergency Response Team affiliates.
During incidents, Tulsa County Emergency Management activates Emergency Operations Centers modeled on structures used by the National Response Framework and coordinates multiagency incident management with partners including the Tulsa Fire Department, Tulsa Police Department, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, BOK Financial Corporation for affected facilities, and healthcare partners such as Hillcrest Medical Center. The agency conducts response operations for natural hazards including tornadoes linked to the Great Plains tornado outbreak patterns, floods involving the Arkansas River, and technological hazards involving railroads owned by companies like BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad.
Preparedness programs include public education campaigns modeled after national initiatives such as America's PrepareAthon! and collaboration with academic institutions like the University of Tulsa and Oklahoma State University Center for Local Government Technology. Mitigation efforts involve hazard mitigation planning consistent with the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and the Flood Insurance Rate Map processes administered by the National Flood Insurance Program. Recovery programs coordinate assistance for disaster survivors through federal mechanisms under the Stafford Act and partnerships with non‑profits such as United Way of Tulsa.
Interagency coordination relies on mutual aid compacts and agreements with neighboring jurisdictions, including the Oklahoma Emergency Management Mutual Aid paradigms, the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System concepts adapted regionally, and coordination with tribal emergency management offices such as those of the Cherokee Nation and Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The office engages in regional planning with coalitions like the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma and federal partners including FEMA Region VI to ensure resource sharing, logistics support, and unified incident objectives during large‑scale events.
Category:Emergency management in Oklahoma Category:Organizations based in Tulsa, Oklahoma