Emergency Management is the continuous process by which all individuals, groups and communities manage hazards in an effort to avoid or improve the impact of disasters resulting from the hazards.
Preparedness
Emergency Management is the continuous process by which all individuals, groups and communities manage hazards in an effort to avoid or improve the impact of disasters resulting from the hazards. Actions that are taken are dependent on the percentage of risk to the county of that particular hazard.
Laurens County has developed the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), using an all hazards approach. These plans will be implemented in the event of a disaster and will direct the county through the four phases of emergency management; Preparedness, Responses, Recovery, & Mitigation.
Responses
The objective of the response phase includes the necessary emergency services and first responders in the disaster area. This phase is likely to include a first wave of core emergency services such as firefighters, police, and EMS crews.
Recovery
The purpose of the recovery phase is to restore the affected to its previous state. Recovery efforts are concerned with issues and decisions that must be made after immediate needs are addressed. Recovery efforts are primarily concerned with actions that involve rebuilding destroyed property, re-employment and the repair of other essential infrastructure.
Mitigation
Mitigation efforts attempt to prevent hazards from developing into disasters altogether, or to reduce the effects of disasters when they occur. Mitigation focuses on long-term measures to reduce or eliminate risk. Mitigation is the most cost effective method for reducing the impact of hazards.