Harford County, Maryland FY 24 Proposed Operating Budget

DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES

ORIGIN/PURPOSE:

The Department of Emergency Services (DES) was established pursuant to Executive Order 12-08 issued in December of 2012 and became law February 17, 2013. This Department is responsible for receiving and disseminating all emergency requests in Harford County for fire, (EMS) Emergency Medical Services, rescue, hazardous materials, and police incidents. Training is provided for all agency members to include the Dispatch Academy, In-Service training to all agency employees, supervisors and management training for all applicable staff members. The Department is the Emergency Management agency and primary Homeland Security Coordination agency for the County and is responsible for emergency plans including emergency plans for the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station. It is responsible for all mitigation and preparedness response and recovery operations. DES is responsible for response to hazardous materials incidents in the county and maintaining a fully equipped and operational hazmat team. Additionally, DES is responsible for providing technical rescue services for the county and maintaining a fully equipped and operational technical rescue team.

DES is designated as the County's EMS Operational Authority which has oversight of all EMS activities in Harford County.

MISSION STATEMENT:

THE HARFORD COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES WILL PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE AND INTEGRATED SYSTEM OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES INCLUDING EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, 911 TELECOMMUNICATIONS, HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND TECHNICAL RESCUE SERVICES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE VOLUNTEER FIRE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES FOUNDATION, HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND MUNICIPAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, ALL FULLY DEDICATED AND COMMITTED TO PROTECTING THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF OUR CITIZENS.

FY 24 GOALS:

TO PROVIDE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT, TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND TRAINING TO HARFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS

TO CONDUCT TWO CABINET LEVEL TABLETOP EXERCISES ANNUALLY TESTING COUNTY RESPONSE PLANS TO ALL NATURAL AND MANMADE DISASTERS

TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE COUNTY'S RESPONSE TO ALL DISASTERS, DES WILL ACQUIRE CCTV FEEDS FROM RELEVANT HARFORD COUNTY CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

TO DEVELOP NEEDS AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR NEXT GENERATION 911 (NG911)

339