Emergency Management

Humboldt County Emergency Management is an important partner with the public safety agencies and is responsible for the coordination of these agencies. During an emergency, Humboldt County Emergency Management assists with the procuring and control of resources to support the public safety agencies responding to the disaster.

 A common misconception is that we run the incident, this is incorrect.  The police and fire chiefs, public works directors, and similar positions, are all people that control and direct resources at the incident scene.  Our role is to assist these agencies in the application of their resources to provide a coordinated response to the emergency.

Definition Emergency management is the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. 

Vision Humboldt County Emergency Management seeks to promote safer, less vulnerable communities with the capacity to cope with hazards and disasters county-wide. 

Mission Humboldt County Emergency Management strives to protect our communities by coordinating and integrating all activities necessary to build, sustain, and improve the capability to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from threatened or actual natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters.

The Emergency Manager considers and takes into account all hazards, all phases, all stakeholders and all impacts relevant to disasters. The following list itemizes some of the topics included in those considerations:

• Anticipate future disasters
• Take preventive and preparatory measures to build disaster-resistant and disaster-resilient communities
• Use sound risk management principles in assigning priorities and resources
• Ensure unity of effort among all levels of government and all elements of a community
• Create and sustain broad and sincere relationships among individuals and organizations to encourage trust, build consensus, and facilitate communication
• Use creative and innovative approaches in solving disaster challenges
• Create and test plans and procedures on a regular basis