Emergency Management

Plans

The Emergency Management Director is in charge of updating and disseminating various plans for Houston County. The two most prevalent of these are the Hazard Mitigation Plan and the Emergency Operations Plan.

The Hazard Mitigation Plan is updated every 5 years and is due for another update in July of 2022. Some of the topics covered in the Hazard Mitigation Plan include:

County Risk Assessment
County & Jurisdictional Vulnerability Assessments
Hazard Analysis
Jurisdictional Mitigation Goals & Strategies
And more

The current plan is available below:

2022 Houston County Hazard Mitigation Plan

The Emergency Operations Plan, or EOP, is the backbone of emergency management in Houston County. The plan contains information pertaining to all manner of emergencies, including preparedness, response, and recovery. The plan is comprised of a Basic Plan and 14 Annexes, as well as a Resource Manual which is not made public due to the sensitive information contained inside. During a disaster, parts of this plan may activate via the Emergency Management Director or Deputy Director to assist in coordination of response and recovery. The EOP is a fluid document, being updated as information changes or requirements to the plan by the state and federal governments are changed.

Basic Plan
Annex A: Direction & Control
Annex B: Communications
Annex C: Public Information & Warning
Annex D: Evacuation & Public Safety
Annex E: Fire & Rescue
Annex F: Mass Care
Annex G: Health, Medical, & Mass Fatality
Annex H: Damage Assessment
Annex I: Debris Management
Annex J: Volunteer & Donations Management
Annex K: Animal Protection
Annex L: Resource Management
Annex M: Access and Functional Needs
Annex N: HazMat (Hazardous Materials)

How to prepare for disasters: Ready.gov

Flood Insurance Information: NFIPdirect.fema.gov 

The American Red Cross Southwest Wisconsin Chapter:
https://www.redcross.org/local/wisconsin/about-us/locations/southwest-chapter.html

CodeRED is a free mass notification system provided for all Houston County residents and businesses. The notification system may be used for a variety of notifications, including emergencies such as evacuation warnings, shelter in place warnings, or missing children, or general alerts such as road closures. This system can call whichever phone number you provide and will only alert based on the address you provide. You may also receive text messages or alerts on the CodeRED app which is free on the App Store and Google Play. Follow the instructions below to sign up:

Create a managed account (so you can change phone or address later) or submit information:
Users have the option of either creating an account to manage by themselves or sign up for information without creating an account. Houston County recommends signing up for an account so the user can change information, such as address, phone number, or how to be alerted.

Get The CodeRed Mobile App

 

Instructions

Enter the following information as you see fit (NOTE: you can do a residential OR a business account. You can add multiple phone numbers and email addresses as you see fit. Either is okay, there is no wrong way to do it)

Emergency Preparedness in Houston County is essential for the variety of hazards we experience. Some of our most common hazards in the past have been flash flooding, summer storms including tornadoes, and winter storms. Other less common but still probable hazards include hazardous materials spills, active threats (bomb or shooter), fires, and utility failure. No matter the hazard, you, your family, and your business should be prepared for whatever nature has to offer. One of the best ways you can do this is with a 72-hour Emergency Preparedness Kit. Here is an example of some of the items to keep in this kit:

• Water (1 gallon per person per day)
• Non-perishable food (and can openers if needed)
• Important documents
• Battery-operated or NOAA All-Hazards Radio
• Flashlight with extra batteries

In addition to these basics, you may want to include the following items as well:

• Extra pet food/supplies
• Plastic sheeting and duct tape for hazardous materials spills
• Baby/child food and supplies

Business Preparedness

If you own a business, keep in mind that there are plenty of preparedness options for you as well. For more information on business preparedness, click the following link:
https://www.ready.gov/business