West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management

West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
Agency name	West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
Formed	1950s
Jurisdiction	West Virginia
Headquarters	Charleston, West Virginia
Parent agency	West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety

West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is the primary state agency responsible for preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation for natural and man-made disasters in West Virginia. The Division operates under the auspices of the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety and maintains relationships with federal entities such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Homeland Security (United States), and the Federal Communications Commission. It interfaces with regional partners including the Appalachian Regional Commission, Monongalia County, and municipal authorities in Charleston, West Virginia and Huntington, West Virginia.

History

The Division traces its roots to state civil defense initiatives contemporaneous with the Cold War and postwar civil defense structures established in the 1950s. Legislative developments in West Virginia Legislature and national shifts following the September 11 attacks led to expanded duties aligned with the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and increased coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Major events shaping its evolution include responses to Hurricane Sandy, the 2016 West Virginia flood, and recurring ice storm incidents affecting the Mississippi River basin tributaries, prompting enhancements in emergency operations, disaster recovery programs, and hazard mitigation planning tied to statutes from the United States Congress and guidance from the National Governors Association.

Organization and Leadership

The Division reports to the Adjutant General of West Virginia through the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety and is led by an appointed director who collaborates with the Governor of West Virginia. Leadership structures include divisions for operations, mitigation, preparedness, logistics, and finance that liaise with the West Virginia National Guard, Office of Management and Budget (United States), and county emergency management directors such as those in Kanawha County, West Virginia and Berkeley County, West Virginia. Advisory boards and intergovernmental working groups include representatives from American Red Cross, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and regional utilities like American Electric Power.

Responsibilities and Programs

Statutory responsibilities encompass statewide emergency planning, hazard mitigation, disaster declaration processes, public information dissemination, and administration of federal grant programs such as Homeland Security Grant Program and Stafford Act-related assistance. Programmatic efforts include the development of the State Emergency Operations Plan, coordination of National Incident Management System adoption, administration of the National Flood Insurance Program mitigation outreach in partnership with county governments, and oversight of continuity programs informed by standards from National Institute of Standards and Technology and Department of Health and Human Services. The Division also manages public alerting systems interoperable with National Weather Service warnings and works with non-governmental organizations including Salvation Army (United States) and AmeriCorps.

Emergency Response and Operations

During incidents the Division activates the State Emergency Operations Center to coordinate response among state agencies, county emergency management, law enforcement such as the West Virginia State Police, fire services including the International Association of Fire Fighters, and medical assets like West Virginia University Medicine. The Division coordinates federal disaster declarations with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and oversees public assistance, individual assistance, and debris management operations. Notable operational deployments include responses to flooding in Elkview, West Virginia, chemical releases requiring coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency, and multi-jurisdictional search and rescue operations that involve the National Guard Bureau and volunteer organizations like the Civil Air Patrol.

Training, Grants, and Preparedness Initiatives

The Division administers training programs aligned with the Emergency Management Institute and delivers tabletop exercises drawing on curricula from the Center for Domestic Preparedness and the National Fire Academy. Grant management responsibilities include distributing funds through the Homeland Security Grant Program, Emergency Management Performance Grant, and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, in coordination with county emergency directors and municipal partners such as Wheeling, West Virginia and Morgantown, West Virginia. Preparedness initiatives encompass community emergency response team development linked to Citizen Corps, school safety collaboration with West Virginia Department of Education, and public health preparedness with the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.

Interagency Coordination and Partnerships

The Division maintains formal mutual aid compacts with counties and mutual aid partners including the Emergency Management Assistance Compact and coordinates interoperable communications planning with entities like the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and statewide radio systems used by Charleston Fire Department. Partnerships extend to academic institutions such as West Virginia University for research on landslide and flood risks, and to infrastructure stakeholders like CSX Transportation and utility providers to ensure resilience for rail corridors and electrical grids. International and regional collaboration occurs through participation in forums hosted by the National Emergency Management Association and multi-state initiatives involving neighboring jurisdictions such as Virginia and Ohio.

Category:Emergency management in the United States Category:State agencies of West Virginia