Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan

Responding to and recovering from disasters is complex undertaking. 
A comprehensive approach to emergency management saves lives and minimizes property damage. The Onondaga County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) is an all-hazards plan that outlines how the County will efficiently and effectively manage emergency/disaster situations.

Emergency management follows several operational phases.

Mitigation/Prevention Planning Tasks

• Vulnerability assessments
• Analysis of prevention, mitigation, response and recovery capabilities
• Determining short, medium and long range measures to improve the County’s capability to manage hazards
• Maintaining and updating the Multi-Jurisdiction All-Hazards Mitigation Plan
• Taking action to prevent or mitigate effects of hazards (example: raising roads that flood frequently)

The Syracuse Onondaga County Planning Agency (SOCPA) oversees the Multi-Jurisdiction All-Hazard Mitigation Plan. This Plan identifies jurisdiction infrastructure projects that could lessen potential impacts of ranked hazards for Onondaga County.

Preparedness Phase of emergency management consists of a myriad of activities that position the County to be resilient and response ready. Preparedness tasks include:

• Developing and updating plans
• Maintaining collaborative partnerships with key response stakeholders
• Training and exercising
• Develop and maintain partnerships with private sector vendors
• Maintaining and testing equipment resources
• Educating the public to prepare for a variety of emergencies

Response operations may start shortly before an emergency materializes. For example, monitoring advisories regarding floods, blizzards, or ice storms that could impact the jurisdiction may initiate some advance activity. Response actions could include:

• Detecting, monitoring, and assessing the hazard
• Issuing alerts/warnings
• Implementing protective actions for the public - shelter-in-place orders, evacuating neighborhoods, setting up "flu shot" clinics.
• Closing roads, managing traffic
• Allocating/distributing equipment/resources  

Recovery activities begin as soon as the immediate hazard threat has diminished. Recovery phase priorities are:

• To restore the community to its pre-emergency state
• To correct adverse conditions that may have led to the damage
• To replenish critical resources
• To protect and improve the quality of life in the community

     Damage assessment information and FEMA guidelines click here.