The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is a division of our Sheriff's Office and is the local agency responsible for emergency and disaster prevention and preparedness and coordination of response and recovery (10-3-201, MCA). OEM serves Ravalli County and municipalities of Hamilton, Pinesdale, Stevensville, and Darby through an interlocal agreement (Sept. 22, 1988).
The Four Phases
Mitigation: Activities which actually eliminate or reduce the chance of occurrence or the effects of a disaster.
Preparedness: Planning how to respond in case an emergency or disaster occurs and working to increase resources available to respond effectively. Designed to help save lives and minimize damage by preparing people to respond appropriately when an emergency is imminent.
Response: Activities which occur during and immediately following a disaster. They are designed to provide emergency assistance to victims of the event and reduce the likelihood of secondary damage.
Recovery: The final phase of the emergency management cycle. Recovery continues until all systems return to normal, or near normal. Short-term recovery returns vital life support systems to minimum operating standards. Long-term recovery from a disaster may go on for years until the entire disaster area is completely redeveloped, either as it was in the past or for entirely new purposes that are less disaster-prone.
