The mission of the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management is to develop disaster-resistant communities within the County.
The vision of DEM is to ensure that a comprehensive emergency management program is implemented and conducted in Snohomish County for the protection of human life, property, the environment, and the region's economic health.
- Provide a leadership role in facilitating and coordinating a regional approach to emergency planning in Snohomish County.
- Provide guidance and coordination in the planning, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts of its member cities and the county before, during, and after an emergency or disaster.
- Acquire, allocate, and coordinate the appropriate resources in response to emergencies or disasters.
Emergency management is a system that through organized analysis, planning, decision making, and assigning of resources helps prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the effects of all the hazards in our region.
Emergency management programs include four functional divisions: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
- The mitigation function includes programs and activities designed to reduce or eliminate the effects of future disasters upon people and property.
- The preparedness function includes activities that encourage a state of readiness in governments, public organizations, businesses, families, and individuals and that enhance the capability to survive a disaster and to ensure the continuity of government.
- The response function primarily includes dissemination of warning and emergency information; coordination for the overall response through the Emergency Operations Center; management of emergency resources; and liaison with state and federal government. DEM is responsible for the coordination of all major disasters and emergencies that may befall Snohomish County or its member jurisdictions. This includes winter storms, floods, earthquake, major fires, hazmat spills/leaks and terrorism-related incidents.
- The recovery function primarily includes collecting and reporting damage assessment information relating to both government and private property; assisting the establishment of Disaster Application Centers that provide local, state and federal disaster relief programs to citizens; and coordination of the disaster relief activities of community level human services agencies and organizations through the Snohomish County Disaster Assistance Council.