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    Emergency Management

    Intro

    The Hays County Office of Emergency Management (HCOEM) serves the citizens of Hays County by directing and coordinating emergency management and homeland security programs to prevent/mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disasters.

    This division provides updates and maintenance for the Hays County Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) System. In addition to geospatial data this division coordinates and monitors the Hays County Flood Warning System which includes but is not limited to low water crossings, DAMs, and advanced notification flashers. OES Special Operations (SO) Branch coordinates Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAV), Explosive Ordinance Devices (EOD), and Regional Hazardous Material deployments. Standard Response Protocol (SRP) Branch develops and maintains School Safety exercise and response programs for all Independent School Districts in Hays County.


    Hays County OES is committed to preparing, responding, and recovering from disasters as well as mitigating and preventing threats posed to Hays County. These threats include natural, man-made (including terrorism), and technological disasters. OES coordinates emergency management and homeland security activities with all Hays County agencies, the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG), private organizations, faith-based organizations, volunteer organizations, and other local, state, and federal agencies.


    In the event of a major emergency or disaster affecting Hays County, the Office of Emergency Services will activate and manage the County’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The EOC becomes the command and coordination point for all county emergency management activities. Furthermore, the Hays County OES serves as the coordination point for federal disaster assistance, county recovery efforts, and prevention/mitigation programs to reduce the effects of future disasters. OES serves as the liaison to regional, state, federal, volunteer, and private partners in emergency and disaster events. These partnerships are enhanced through mutual aid agreements, memorandums of understanding, and inter-local agreements.


    OES develops and maintains the County’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP), and directs emergency management planning for the unincorporated areas of Hays County as well as the cities of Buda, Dripping Springs, City of Hays, Kyle, Mountain City, Niederwald, Uhland, Village of Bear Creek, Wimberley, and Woodcreek. The CEMP guides strategic organizational behavior and serves as the foundational guide for all emergency-related events and prepares County staff and partner agencies to carry out their roles in the County CEMP.

    Emergency Management Director AND Coordinator

    The Director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security for Hays County is the Hays County Judge. The County Judge appoints the Emergency Management Coordinator (EMC) - currently the Director of the Office of Emergency Services - to oversee the day-to-day Emergency Management and Homeland Security Programs for the county. The Emergency Management Coordinator (EMC) is responsible for maintaining the county’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) for all hazards. This plan is based on an analysis of the hazards that could occur in the county and Central Texas area.


    The CEMP addresses these hazards using four phases of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. When an impending emergency disaster is known, the EMC may activate the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The EOC is staffed with members of the various departments within the county - including the Public Information Officer - as well as staff from the City of San Marcos, and other jurisdictions which may be affected by the emergency or event, state and federal representatives, and members of community-based organizations active in a disaster.


    The EOC supports the Incident Command Post or on-scene operations to ensure first responders have all the resources necessary to save lives, protect property, and the environment and to recover from the disaster.

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