Emergency Management

Welcome to Emergency Management. The purpose of the Emergency Management Department is to provide a comprehensive emergency system for the health, safety, and welfare of the public during an emergency situation, and to aid in the prevention of, damage to, and the destruction of property during an emergency. This coordinated effort is concerned with the protection of life and property, and the minimization of suffering, loss of life, and destruction of property during periods of emergencies.

The four phases of Emergency Management is an integral part of comprehensive emergency planning. They are mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Each of these phases is specifically addressed here:

Mitigation

Making changes that reduce the probability or at least minimizing damages from the effects of a disaster, including, but not limited to:

• Developing communications systems to meet the needs of the community;
• Developing warning systems capable of providing officials and citizens with timely information;
• Conducting an in-depth and specific hazard vulnerability study;
• Providing appropriate authorities with complete information regarding hazards;
• Insuring that local agencies or groups involved with Emergency Management are knowledgeable of their responsibilities;
• Conducting realistic exercises of the plan.

Preparedness

Planned actions to be implemented by steps in situations of increasing tensions and/or anticipated natural disaster including, but not limited to:

• Reviewing and updating emergency plans and standard operating procedures;
• Inspecting and preparing emergency equipment for operations;
• Increasing public information;
• Alerting of local government forces and volunteers;
• Initiating accelerated training in appropriate areas;
• Placing appropriate personnel on standby;
• Establishing communications with appropriate agencies such as the National Weather Service.

Response

Planned actions to be taken during that period of time in which the emergency is occurring with or without warning, including, but not limited to:

1. Alerting the public to the emergency;
2. Fully activating the Emergency Operating Center;
3. Establishing appropriate communications;
4. Conducting emergency operations for a maximum survival of people and preservation of property;
5. Keeping the public informed of changes in the emergency situations as they occur.

Recovery

That period immediately following the emergency when actions will be taken to restore the municipality to as normal as possible, actions will include, but are not limited to:

1. Developing an evaluation of the situation including damage assessment;
2. Reporting damage assessment to County Emergency Operating Center;
3. Planning for restoration, determine priorities and commence restoration;
4. Providing assistance when requested;
5. In the event radiation is a problem, ensure monitoring and decontamination;
6. Providing transportation for people who are being relocated;
7. Providing mortuary service;
8. Providing medical assistance;
9. Certify as safe buildings, bridges, roads, etc.

Examples of Services Provided

• Develop, review, and enhance the County’s disaster preparedness and recovery plans for “All Hazards”.
  • Distribute and coordinate those plans on a County-wide basis.
• Operate, maintain, and enhance the County’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
• Manage and coordinate County-wide response to, and recovery from, “All Hazards”.
• Coordinate the County’s disaster response/recovery needs with higher levels of government.
• Serve as coordination point for federal disaster relief programs.
• Develop and deliver public information and educational programs about disaster preparedness.
• Provide administrative and logistical support to the County’s Hazardous Materials Response Team.
• Plan, conduct, and critique exercises that test and improve preparedness.
• Assist local industry in writing and preparing Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) Off-Site Facility Plans and Chemical Inventory and Tier II reporting forms.

Rural Addressing

The Emergency Management Department is responsible for assigning addresses to all new structures, residential and non-residential in the County of Monroe. The rural address is significant in the fact that it serves two valuable and distinct purposes: 1) enables the emergency service departments (Fire, EMS, Law Enforcement) and 2) U. S. Postal Service and other package delivery services in locating your home.

Applying for a Residential Rural Address

RESIDENTIAL (permanent dwelling) applications can be obtained through the Sanitation / Zoning Department upon completion of the soil/sanitation inspection, call 608-269-8736 for further information.

Read the County Ordinance below if your residence is currently or will be located on a private drive and/or private subdivision road; contact the Town Clerk or Emergency Management Office if you are unsure.

Click on this link for Step-by-step residential address procedures

COUNTY ORDINANCE  - 6.102 Placement Of Rural Address Signs On Private Drives And/Or Private Subdivisions Roads. (Cr. #4-05-1): All properties having any type of structure on a parcel of land on a private drive and/or private subdivision road shall be required to be marked with 2 rural address signs, one sign to be placed at the location where the private drive intersects the private road and the other sign to be placed where the private drive or private road intersects the public road. It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to purchase said signs. All sign locations shall be consistent with specifications provided by the Monroe County Emergency Management Department as specified by the Monroe County Ordinances 6.101. Penalty for failure to comply with this section has previously been provided in 6.15 of the Monroe County Ordinances.

Applying for a Non-Residential Rural Address

Applications for Non-Residential Rural Address Assignment and Sign can either be requested from the Town Clerk or by clicking on the department documents link located at the bottom of this webpage. This application form MUST have a map attached with a sketch or drawing of the property showing the property’s relationship to the nearest public thoroughfare and the nearest addressed property on the same side of the road and across the road. This form is used for Amish residences, non-residential structures and farm fields.

Read the County Ordinance above if the non-residential property is/will be located on a private drive and/or private subdivision road; contact the Town Clerk or Emergency Management Office if you are unsure.

Click on link for Step-by-step non-residential address procedures

Fees

The Town or their designee may charge the applicant or landowner reasonable and necessary fees for placement of addresses, cost of the sign, cost of the post or cost of a replacement sign or post. Such fee must be set by an official action of the Town.

On March 3, 2004 the Monroe County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution allowing the Emergency Management Department to charge a $10.00 administration fee to cover the costs of the supplies (paper, envelopes, postage, ink cartridges etc.), process the application and to assign a rural address. This fee took affect beginning May 10, 2004. The fee will be noted on the Rural Address Applications and must be submitted, with the application, to the Town Clerk.

Staffing

The Department’s staffing consists of one full-time paid Coordinator position and one part-time Administrative Assistant position.

Department Documents

Non-Residential Rural Address Application (2012)

• Application for rural address (fire number) for NON-RESIDENTIAL structures only (i.e. pole sheds, barns, cabins, hunting camps, farm fields, Amish residences etc.) Upon completion print out and submit to the appropriate Town Clerk along with required fees.

All Hazard Mitigation Plan

• The purpose of mitigation planning is to identify policies and actions that can be implemented over the long term to reduce risk and future losses.