Wisconsin Emergency Management

Wisconsin Emergency Management
Svgalbertian · Public domain · source
Agency name	Wisconsin Emergency Management
Abbreviation	WEM
Formed	1951
Jurisdiction	Wisconsin
Headquarters	Madison, Wisconsin
Parent agency	Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs

Wisconsin Emergency Management is the state-level emergency management agency responsible for coordinating preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation activities across Wisconsin. It interfaces with federal partners such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and regional entities including the Midwest emergency management community. WEM provides planning, training, grant administration, and operational coordination to county, tribal, and municipal authorities throughout Dane County, Wisconsin and other localities.

Overview

Wisconsin Emergency Management operates as a division of the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs and collaborates with the National Guard of the United States, the United States Department of Homeland Security, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services for public health emergencies. WEM maintains the state's Emergency Operations Center (EOC), supports coordination with tribal nations such as the Ho-Chunk Nation and the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and integrates with regional systems like the Midwest Coordination Center and the Great Lakes maritime response network. It implements state plans aligned with statutes including the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and participates in interagency groups such as the National Emergency Management Association.

History

WEM traces roots to civil defense structures developed during the Korean War and the Cold War era, formalizing through state legislation in the mid-20th century. The agency expanded after major events including the Hurricane Katrina national response lessons and the 2001 anthrax attacks that reshaped biodefense planning. In Wisconsin, notable incidents shaped its evolution: the Wisconsin floods of 2008, the 2011 Wisconsin floods, and severe winter storms affecting the Lake Superior region. WEM adapted post-9/11 coordination models from entities like the Office of Homeland Security and integrated incident command practices from the Incident Command System used in the California wildfire responses.

Organization and Leadership

WEM is led by a division director appointed within the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs structure, working alongside the state's Adjutant General of Wisconsin and coordinating with elected officials such as the Governor of Wisconsin. Operational sections mirror federal models with branches for operations, logistics, planning, finance, and public information, interfacing with county emergency management directors in counties like Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Brown County, Wisconsin, and Waukesha County, Wisconsin. WEM liaises with federal regional commanders from the FEMA Region 5 office, state agencies such as the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and external partners like the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

Programs and Services

WEM administers statewide programs including disaster recovery coordination, hazard mitigation planning, and threat assessment for events such as floods along the Wisconsin River, chemical incidents near Milwaukee, Wisconsin port facilities, and severe winter weather affecting the Upper Peninsula of Michigan border areas. It manages continuity of operations planning aligned with guidance from the National Continuity Policy Implementation Plan and supports public-private partnerships with entities like the American Public Works Association and the American Water Works Association for infrastructure resilience. WEM also runs specialized initiatives for hazardous materials response, mass care logistics in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 5 and public health surge planning with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Emergency Response and Operations

During activations, WEM staffs the state Emergency Operations Center and implements the National Incident Management System to coordinate multi-jurisdictional responses to incidents such as tornado outbreaks, ice storms, and industrial accidents at facilities akin to incidents at the Kewaunee Nuclear Generating Station or chemical events similar to those under the Environmental Protection Agency response protocols. The agency coordinates search and rescue support with the United States Coast Guard on the Great Lakes and mutual aid through agreements like the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. It manages state requests for federal assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and supports long-term recovery through partnerships with the Federal Emergency Management Agency recovery offices and nonprofit coalitions.

Training, Exercises, and Preparedness

WEM conducts training programs incorporating curricula from the Emergency Management Institute and the FEMA National Training and Education Division, offering courses for local emergency managers, first responders, and public information officers. It organizes statewide exercises—tabletop, functional, and full-scale—in collaboration with stakeholders such as the Wisconsin Hospital Association, tribal emergency services, and university partners like the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Exercises include pandemic response scenarios informed by the H1N1 2009 pandemic lessons and multi-hazard drills reflecting lessons from events like the Great Flood of 1993. WEM also supports credentialing and professional development aligned with the National Incident Management System and Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program standards.

Grants and Funding

WEM administers federal grant programs including the State Homeland Security Program, the Emergency Management Performance Grant, and hazard mitigation grants under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to fund local resilience projects such as levee improvements, stormwater management, and community shelter upgrades. It manages pass-through funds from FEMA and coordinates audits and compliance with federal regulations, working with the United States Department of Transportation on infrastructure resilience grants and the Environmental Protection Agency for environmental remediation funding. Local governments, tribal nations, and nonprofit organizations apply to WEM for grants to support mitigation planning, emergency communications upgrades like interoperable radio systems, and community preparedness projects in municipalities such as Green Bay, Wisconsin and Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Category:Emergency management in the United States Category:State agencies of Wisconsin