Office of Emergency Management

Responsibilities

The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) coordinates the activities of volunteer, public and private agencies in all phases of Response, Recovery, Preparedness, and Mitigation.

Mission

The Office of Emergency Management coordinates the activities of volunteer, public and private agencies in all phases of emergency management (Preparedness, Response, Recovery, and Mitigation). The OEM develops plans and exercises, and coordinates emergency management training for the City of Terrell and allied agencies. The OEM obtains assistance and resources to accomplish their mission from federal, state, local and private agencies.

The Office is charged with assuring timely and adequate public warning of potential or imminent disaster events, and providing disaster-related safety information to the public and media. The Office of Emergency Management is available on a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week basis.

The Civil Defense Act of 1950 created offices of “Civil Defense” in cities throughout the United States. In the late 1970s, the focus of planning changed to more of an “all hazards” approach, so that the office began to concentrate more on the day-to-day types of emergencies such as severe weather, hazardous materials, large fires, plane crashes, etc. In 2008 the City of Terrell began to do its own Emergency Planning with the establishment of its own Office of Emergency Management.

The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) also participates with County, State, and Federal officials and their respective constituents with disaster preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery programs. Because a close working relationship with elected officials is crucial to the success of our mission, the Agency serves as a repository of information concerning hazard identification, mitigation procedures, and threat assessments. OEM also provides the public and media organizations with accurate and timely information regarding emergency management programs and issues in the City of Terrell. OEM is also the department charged with National Incident Management System (NIMS) compliance as well as the coordination of radio communications within the City.

Non-Emergency Phone Numbers

The following numbers are for reporting crime or suspicious activity not already in progress

  • Fire Department
    Phone: 972-551-6652
  • Police Department
    Phone: 469-474-2700