The Marshall County Office of Emergency Management responds to all types of emergencies in an effort to support all public safety agencies on a daily basis. It was first established in 1952 as the local Civil Defense Authority and functioned for many years as the Civil Defense Agency. The name was changed to the Marshall County Emergency Management Agency and it's scope broadened in 1979. In 2004 things changed again as a result of 9-11-2001 and issues involving homeland security were added to the responsibilities. The office now operates as the Office of Emergency Management / Homeland Security for the purpose of directing emergency management and homeland security issues for the citizens of the entire county.
The staff which includes over 20 trained volunteers responds to all types of emergencies including fires and natural disasters such as floods, tornadoes, ice storms, extreme heat or cold, and drought. We provide a highly trained and skilled search and rescue team which includes a canine component, a confined space and rope rescue team, a trained damage assessment team, a SFMO recognized fire suppression unit, a rapid response team, and an auxiliary communications team which provides coordination between the local amateur radio club and emergency services. The OEM hazmat team has Hazmat Specialist, Technicians, and Operations personnel. It is responsible for containment and stabilization of all hazardous materials incidents. The office monitors the weather and the USGS water levels for local creeks and Duck River and broadcasts alerts accordingly. Marshall County OEM serves as a point of contact and training site for all of our county public safety and response agencies and teams. OEM writes and reviews emergency plans for buildings designed to contain groups of people, such as schools, daycare centers, and healthcare facilities and more. The OEM is responsible for planning, responding, mitigating and coordinating recovery from any large-scale emergency that could affect the citizens of Marshall County.
OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES OF OFFICE
The OEM is responsible for the county's Emergency Operations Plan, the county Hazardous Mitigation Plan, Pandemic Plan, School Safety Plans, POD and Donations Plan, Debri management plan and others. We are charged with maintaining and operating the Marshall County Emergency Operations Center and Joint Information Center in case of disasters or events beyond normal response capabilities. We are a member of the South Central Regional Healthcare Coalition and work along with the Marshall County Health Department, MMC, and EMS in training and response for any possible pandemic or outbreak. We are also active members of the Emergency Management Association of Tennessee, the District 6 Homeland Security Council, and the Marshall County Emergency Communication District (911). We serve as the lead agency for Marshall County on Tactical Interoperable Communications, and maintain the annual Sara Title III reporting for Marshall County industries showing the amount of hazardous materials contained at those sites. The office serves as the facilitator and chair of the Local Emergency Planning Committee. They serve as the local branch of and receive funding from TEMA, FEMA, and the Office of Homeland Security as well as the Marshall County Government. The local office applies for and administers various state and federal grants, which provide equipment and training for response agencies across all Emergency Services, utilities, and for mitigation projects in Marshall County.
Marshall County is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
