About Us
Our Mission and Vision
Our mission is to coordinate activities to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. Our vision is a safer future through effective partnerships committed to saving lives and reducing the impact of disasters.
Our mission is carried out by closely interfacing with local, state, and federal agencies to bring resources of recovery and support to Ohioans impacted by disaster. Our activities also include education, training, planning, and preparedness - strengthening Ohio's first responder capabilities and improving communication across the state.
When an emergency exceeds the capacity of local government, they request the assistance of the state through the Ohio EMA. If an emergency exceeds the capacity of the state, aid is requested from the president through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. To ensure preparedness and the capability to respond at all levels, our staff interface regularly with local and federal counterparts.
Chapter 5502 of the Ohio Revised Code designates the Ohio EMA executive director as the state coordinator during emergency response and stipulates the executive director:
"Shall coordinate all activities of all agencies for emergency management within the state, shall maintain liaison with similar agencies of other states and of the federal government, shall cooperate with those agencies subject to the approval of the governor, and shall develop a statewide emergency operations plan that shall meet any applicable federal requirements for such plans."
