Date of Graduation

Spring 2008

Degree

Master of Public Administration

Department

Political Science

Committee Chair

Kant Patel

Abstract

Throughout history, public policymakers have sought to anticipate the unexpected in order to reduce the risks to life and safety by focusing on emergency management plans for federal, state and local governments. Emergency management can be defined as a process of developing and implementing policies concerned with mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery efforts. Historically, the measures taken to produce these policies have been fragmented and uncoordinated, often leading to emergency operation plans (EOPs) that lack precise instruction. Although each level of government is involved in the this process, the local level is considered to be the first responder to all hazards. Consequently, the actions taken by local emergency management agencies have a more severe impact on communities than those taken at other levels of government. This paper reviews the structure of emergency management at the local level of Springfield-Greene County, Missouri to determine whether the local EOP utilized meets the demands of emergency management. The research consists of a qualitative case study examining the January 2007 ice storm and cross referencing the local EOP with the mandates set by the federal government in the State and Local Guide (SLG). Interviews were conducted by the author with seven state and local government officials to gauge the level of integration and coordination between agencies and the local Office of Emergency Management (OEM). The findings conclude that the local EOP is significantly underdeveloped. Recommendations to revise the EOP include the addition of annexes to address all hazards and to specifically improve response measures between all emergency responders.

Keywords

local, emergency management, operations plan, policies and procedures, recommendations

Subject Categories

Public Administration

Copyright

© Carmen Parker Bradshaw

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