Office of Emergency Management

Overview

The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is part of the Department of Public Safety, Division of Administration, and is staffed by full time employees. OEM reports to the Chief Director of Public Safety. Although OEM typically operates during normal business hours, staff members monitor the Public Safety Group One incident notification system 24/7 in the event that the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) needs to be activated.

OEM Primary Responsibilities 

1. Maintaining the operational readiness of the City’s EOC for both planned and unplanned events. The EOC serves as the City Command Center for all major events. The EOC also supports numerous training exercises and Tabletop Exercises on a variety of topics each year. 

2. The development and regular updating of the City’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). The EOP provides an overview of the City’s emergency response capabilities as an organization, including the structure, processes, and policies utilized to conduct incident management during major events.

Partnerships 

OEM works closely with the Cleveland Police Bureau of Homeland Services, the Real Time Crime Center, and the Northeast Ohio Regional Fusion Center. Although these groups do not report to OEM, all of the groups collaborate and support each other’s missions throughout the year.

Cuyahoga County ReadyCertify 

OEM recently worked with the Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management to ensure that the City of Cleveland was re-certified as a Cuyahoga County ReadyCertify community. The ReadyCertify program is a voluntary countywide program that consists of rigorous, but attainable, emergency preparedness standards, and is based on lessons learned and best practices nationwide.

Boards and Committees

OEM participates on several boards and/or committees, including: 

Ohio Homeland Security Advisory Council: 

• The State of Ohio has created a Statewide Council comprised of State agencies and local partners, including OEM, who meet on a quarterly basis to discuss Homeland Security matters of interest to the participants. 

Cuyahoga County Emergency Services Advisory Board: 

• CESSAB is a regional body consisting of public safety and other area partners established to support and recommend federal funding on Homeland Security and Emergency Management matters. 

Cuyahoga River Safety Task Force: 

• OEM and Public Safety Divisions serve as members of the Cuyahoga River Safety Task Force. This group consists of multiple partner agencies whose mission is to promote water safety along the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie shoreline. 

Downtown Business Security Group: 

• The Downtown Cleveland Alliance holds monthly meetings with close to 300 partner agencies including Downtown business owners, security agencies and Cleveland Public Safety representatives. 

Local Emergency Planning Committee: 

• The Cuyahoga County Local Emergency Planning Committee is a coordinated planning group comprised of individuals who have knowledge and awareness to the planning and response to incidents involving hazardous materials. 

Base Cleveland Veterans Committee: 

• This office serves to coordinate support to Veterans and Military initiatives in the City of Cleveland. This includes providing direct support and recognition to veterans through coordination with several local and National veterans and military organizations. 

Northeast Ohio Healthcare Coalition: 

• OEM serves on the board of the Northeast Ohio Healthcare Coalition, comprised of representatives from public health, emergency management, and healthcare providers in the region. 

OEM also works on various special initiatives, such as: 

CodeRED Mass Notification Platform: 

• CodeRED is a mass communication service utilized by the City of Cleveland that sends phone, text, and email messages to a database of Cleveland residents and businesses to provide emergency notifications as needed. 

  COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION ENROLLMENT

Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS)/Wireless Priority Service (WPS): 

• In the event of phone lines being tied up due to an overwhelming demand as a result of an emergency or a large special event, OEM manages the distribution of access cards that allows calls placed by both landlines and cell phones to receive priority. 

City of Cleveland Emergency Contact List: 

• OEM maintains a list of City Executive staff and key personnel for use during an emergency, including but not limited to, an activation of the City EOC in response to a large-scale incident.