History

The Emergency Management Agency goes back to the Civil Defense program of the late 1940's and 1950's. In the 1970's, with a softening of the threat of nuclear warfare between the superpowers, the Civil Defense program added planning and preparedness for natural hazards to its responsibilities (with nuclear preparedness remaining primary). 

With this new area of concern the evolution continued, with "CD" evolving into DSA (Disaster Services Agency) in the early 1980’s and eventually becoming today's Emergency Management Agency. EMA was charged with emergency planning and preparedness for all hazards. The four aspects of emergency management are Preparation, Response, Recovery, and Mitigation.

The role and functions of the Emergency Management Agency is governed by legislative action as dictated in Chapter 39 of Kentucky Revised Statutes.

It is the task of the Emergency Management Agency to plan for the unplanned. When we hear News about disasters outside of our community, it is difficult to realize the true scope of disruption that can impact a community. Major natural disasters can strike anywhere, anytime. The San Francisco earthquake, Hurricane Andrew, Hurricane Katrina, The Gulf Coast Hurricanes, The Midwest Flood events, The Twin Towers and Oklahoma City bombings are a few notable examples. 

How to manage the emergency is what this agency is all about. Every disaster scenario is unique in its cause and impact. The common thread that binds together all disaster response priorities is the need to protect human life. This starts with the basics — coordinating shelter, sustenance, and medical care. At the same time, the Emergency Management Agency is involved with coordinating recovery/mitigation activities and acts as the supply and support resource for those efforts.

Today as Campbell County Emergency Management, our office continues to plan for the future. We are the Emergency Management office for 15 cities. Our office maintains the Emergency Operations plan for the county and exercise yearly to test the plans efficiency.

Partnering neighboring communities Campbell County E.M.A continues to provide top notch services to the citizens of Campbell County. These partnerships include UASI  Urban Area Security Initiative. This partnership opens the door for Campbell County to receive advanced technology for disaster planning and response. Please check out the SERVICES tab for more information.