The role of Emergency Management is to maximize the protection and promotion of public safety, health and welfare during large-scale emergencies. They plan for the coordinated response of county forces to any disaster situation, with special focus on potential wildfires.
There are four pinciples of Emergency Management. These are
- Mitigation: What activities can help avoid a disaster or minimize its impact? Examples include building dikes, adopting wind resistant construction methods, and building new warning systems.
- Preparedness: What activities can enhance the abilities of individuals, communities, and businesses to respond to a disaster? Examples include creating disaster plans (for the home, workplace, and community) and conducting disaster drills.
- Response: What actions can be taken during and immediately after a disaster to prevent loss of life and property?
- Recovery: What efforts can help to return the community back to normal following a disaster? Recovery efforts can include debris removal, rebuilding roads, returning people to their homes, etc.
911 Note: Please be aware that when a 911 call is placed within Cook County there is at least an 8 second delay before the call is connected. Please do not hang up and re-dial during this time. Also, in case of telephone line failure to the Tofte, Gunflint Trail and Hovland exchanges the delay is increased due to the use of sattelite transmission of the 911 call.