OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Our office is proud to serve the residents of Polk County, Texas.  However, you may ask yourself “What do they do when there is no hurricane?”  Of course, we do respond to hurricanes by opening shelters, coordinating resources, and assisting the leaders of Polk County to restore our community to the state it was in prior to the emergency; however, we do much more. 

What is Emergency Management?

Emergency Management is the ability to respond to natural and man-made disasters through mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery in order to protect life, property, and the environment.

Polk County is most susceptible to the following natural hazards:  floods, thunderstorms, hurricanes, wildfires, tornados, severe winter storms, drought, and extreme heat.

Polk County is most susceptible to the following man-made hazards:  hazmat incidents, wildfires

Mitigation:

OEM actively looks for ways to reduce and/or eliminate natural and man-made risks and their affects on people and property.

Preparedness:

OEM develops emergency plans, trains first responders, and actively disseminates important information to residents.

Response:

OEM responds to emergencies through information dissemination, resource coordination, and shelter operation.

Recovery: 

OEM, first responders, leaders in the private and public sector, utility workers, and volunteers work together to help our community recover from emergencies and disasters.

The Polk County Office of Emergency Management is also responsible for floodplain management, issuing permits, and addressing residents in Polk County.  For more information, please visit the corresponding pages on this website.