Emergency Management

Mission Statement

It is the mission of Marion County Emergency Management to provide the protection of life and property by assisting its citizens to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and prevent or reduce the effects of a disaster - whether it is natural or manmade.

Emergency Management involves local, state, and federal government agencies, as well as volunteer organizations and businesses working as a coordinated team. These organizations operate together during times of disaster using the County-Wide Multi-Hazard Emergency Operations Plan as their guide. This plan incorporates all resources within the county, as well as those made available through mutual aid agreements with other counties, and those resources available from the State or Federal Governments.

The EM staff consists of two employees. In order to fulfill its mission, the EM staff is supported by the various departments and agencies. These agencies supply a career and volunteer staff, which fluctuates between 200 and 250 professional emergency responders.

A major function of the Emergency Management Agency is to support the responder agencies in safeguarding Marion County during periods of disaster. The assistance given by EM falls to four main categories, namely: Mitigation, Preparation, Response, and Recovery.

EM phases chart

In the long run, mitigation is the most important of these support functions. Hopefully, by mitigation, that is the eliminating or lessening of the impact of future disasters, we can reduce the suffering and financial loss for County residents and visitors.FEMA logo

Through preparedness, Marion County Emergency Management employees are constantly involved in Federal (FEMA) and State sponsored Emergency Management training courses.                                           

Additionally, the Marion County Emergency Management Agency assists and helps coordinate the activities, training and emergency exercises of local organizations.

Marion County Emergency Response organizations have a proven record of response and recover amid the challenges of tornadoes, major winter storms, plane crashes, and the major floods.

Staff Contacts

Name Title Phone
Marcy Hostetler Director 620-382-2144
Dan Schaefer Deputy Director 620-382-2144