Our Mission Statement

We conduct programs and activities designed to provide our customers, internal and external, with the ability to prepare for, cope with, and recover from the effects of disasters. This is achieved through information and resource exchange, working with the public and private sectors, and all levels of government through the utilization of modern technology.

Emergency Management is responsible for coordinating the City of Houston's preparation for and response to emergency situations.

Houston is exposed to many hazards, which have the potential for disrupting the community, causing damage and creating casualties. Natural hazards include hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and severe storms. As a major petrochemical manufacturing and distribution center, Houston also faces the threat of hazardous material accidents involving the transportation, manufacture and storage of chemicals on the highways and in the city's industrial areas.

To address these potential threats, the Emergency Management Division publishes the city's emergency management plan. This plan provides the framework upon which the City of Houston prepares for, responds to and performs its emergency response functions during times of natural or man-made disasters or national emergencies. The plan is based on the four phases of Emergency Management which are:

• Mitigation - Those activities which eliminate or reduce the probability of disaster.
• Preparedness - Those activities which governments, organizations and individuals develop to save lives and minimize damage.
• Response - Those actions to minimize loss of life and property damage and provide emergency assistance.
• Recovery - Those short and long-term activities which restore city operations and help return the community to a normal state.

When the City of Houston faces an emergency and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is activated, the division works with appropriate city departments as well as various county, state, and federal agencies to respond effectively and quickly provide for the continuity of services to the public. In addition, should it become necessary to establish a command post at the site of a major incident, the City will deploy a specially equipped vehicle known as the Field Emergency Operations Center (FEOC). This specialized vehicle has been designed to be an extension of the EOC. It is a state-of-the-art mobile command post equipped with radio equipment, computers, telephones, video systems, and other specialized equipment to assist in the management of a major incident.

Since severe weather emergencies could be caused by tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, hurricanes, floods, extreme cold and ice, and extreme heat, we monitor the Houston area radar on a continual basis. The division can communicate with local amateur radio operators throughout the area as part of the Regional Skywarn Network, as well as emergency management centers in adjacent counties.

Division personnel, working with the Houston-Galveston Office of the National Weather Service, monitor regional and national weather information for its potential impact on the city. This is particularly true during the hurricane season (June - November) when we also monitor Atlantic and Caribbean weather/storm activity. Utilizing the camera equipment and message signs located along the City's freeway system, we can coordinate an orderly evacuation should the city be threatened by a potential major hurricane.

The Division also provides public education and training. They plan and hold training exercises with city departments and outside agencies. They advise the public through the media, the Emergency Alert System (EAS), and the City Municipal Channel about the severity of the emergency and the response and recovery under way. In addition they are available to make presentations to civic and business groups on emergency preparedness

To assist you in better understanding and preparing for the potential threats we face in Houston, we have included additional information on specific topics as well as links to other emergency management and weather sites on the Internet.

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