509 Main Street . Records Building 3rd Floor, Room 305 . Dallas, Texas 75202 . Telephone: 214-653-7980

Emergency planning is a continual cycle of planning, training, exercising, and revision that takes place throughout the four phases of the emergency management cycle such as preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery.

The purpose of the planning process is the development and maintenance of an up-to-date Emergency Management Plan (EMP).  An EMP can be defined as a document describing how citizens and property will be protected in a disaster or emergency. Although the emergency planning process is cyclic, EMP development has a definite starting point.

There are four steps in the emergency planning process:

1. Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment.  Hazard analysis is the process by which hazards that threaten Dallas County are identified, researched, and ranked according to the risks they pose and the areas and infrastructure that are vulnerable to damage from an event involving the identified hazards.  The Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment is a written hazard analysis that quantifies the overall risk to Dallas County for each hazard.
   
   
2. EMP development, including the basic plan, functional annexes, hazard-specific appendices, and standard operating procedures. The EMP describes actions to be taken in response to natural, manmade, or technological hazards, detailing the tasks to be performed by specific organizational elements at projected times and places based on established objectives, assumptions, and assessment of capabilities.

   The Dallas County Emergency Management Plans consists of the following:
   Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA)
   Emergency Management Plan
   Annex A: Warning
   Annex B: Communications
   Annex C: Shelter & Mass Care
   Annex D: Radiological Protection
   Annex E: Evacuation
   Annex F: Firefighting and Search & Rescue
   Annex G: Law Enforcement
   Annex H: Health and Medical Services
   Annex I: Public Information
   Annex J: Recovery/Recovery Plan
   Annex K: Public Works & Engineering
   Annex L: Utilities
   Annex M: Resource Management
   Annex N: Direction and Control
   Annex O: Human Services
   Annex P: Hazard Mitigation/Hazard Mitigation Action Plan
   Annex Q: Hazardous Materials & Oil Spill Response
   Annex S: Transportation
   Annex T: Donations Management
   Annex U: Legal
   Annex V: Terrorist Incident Response
   DFW Metroplex East Shelter Hub Operations Plan
   Continuity of Operations Plan
   Exercise & Evaluation Plan
   Standard Operating Procedures/Standard Operating Guidelines

   Dallas County Office of Security and Emergency Management (OSEM) is also involved in other types of regional planning such as the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), Regional Emergency Preparedness Advisory Committee, Regional Exercise Subcommittee, Multi-Agency Coordination System/Regional Coordination Plan, Regional Catastrophic Plan, Mass Fatality, Dallas County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, Dallas County Local Emergency Planning Committee, Dallas County Animal Issues Committee, Dallas County Medical Operations Center, Regional Medical Operations Center, special events planning, Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP), Emergency Management Association of Texas (EMAT), National Fire Protection Administration (NFPA), All-Hazards Incident Management Team (AHIMT) Type III Team, Multi-Agency Coordination System (MACS)/Regional Coordination Plan (RCP), regional Incident Management System (E-Team), Texas Task Force #2 Urban Search and Rescue (TxTF2) and a Liaison with other jurisdictions and partner agencies regarding emergency planning.

3. Testing the plan through training and exercises. OSEM has developed a comprehensive five-year exercise plan that includes all-hazard emergencies, including domestic preparedness for response to an act of terrorism.

   Dallas County’s Exercise and Evaluation Program/Exercise Plan, is a living document that will be reviewed and updated annually. The Exercise Plan will serve as a roadmap for enhancing Dallas County capabilities to responding to all-hazard emergencies by working in collaboration with local, regional, state, and federal partners. Dallas County recognizes that the key to a successful emergency response will be comprehensive planning and coordination among emergency response agencies across the region and the state.

4. Plan maintenance and revision.  The EMP is reviewed annually and updated based on current needs, threats, and resources. OSEM develops and maintains the EMP, Annexes, and Standard Operating Procedures along with a maintenance system established to ensure they are kept up-to-date. The EMP and annexes are reviewed annually to make appropriate changes or revisions and sent to the Governor’s Division of Emergency Management as required.

If you have any questions about Emergency Planning, please contact: Emergency Management Office, 214-653-7980.