Emergency Management
Mission Statement:
The mission of the Lawrence County Department of Public Safety is to mitigate the potential effects of various hazards and vulnerabilities that may impact the County.
Measures implemented which will preserve life and minimize damage to respond effectively to the needs of the citizens and local jurisdictions during emergencies.
The mission statement is to provide a recovery system to return the County and its communities to a normal status as soon as possible, by protecting from natural or man-made disasters, technological accidents and national security threats along with other disrupting incidents that may impact our area.
Vision Statement:
The Vision of the Lawrence County Department of Public Safety is to work collaboratively to build, sustain and improve the County. Services are created to prepare, protect against, respond to and recover from. Mitigate all hazards and to be progressive in all aspects which will provide for the highest levels of service to our residents and first responders.
Lawrence County's Emergency Management Program is in compliance with Pennsylvania's Emergency Management Services Code (35 Pa. C. S. Section 7101-7707).
Our office maintains a comprehensive program addressing all of the phases of the emergency management process:
Mitigation. "Preventing future emergencies or minimizing their effects"
Across the United States, natural and human-caused disasters have led to increasing levels of deaths, injuries, property damage, and interruption of business and government services. The time, money, and efforts to recover from these disasters exhaust resources, diverting attention from important public programs and private agendas. The emergency management community, citizens, elected officials and other stakeholders in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania recognize the impact of disasters on their community and support proactive efforts needed to reduce the impact of natural and human-caused hazards. Activities that either prevent the occurrence of an emergency or reduce Lawrence County's vulnerability to all types of hazards, whether natural or man-made.Hazard Mitigation describes sustained actions taken to prevent or minimize long-term risks to life and property from hazards and create successive benefits over time. Pre-disaster mitigation actions are taken in advance of a hazard event and are essential to breaking the disaster cycle of damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage. With careful selection, successful mitigation actions are cost effective means of reducing risk of loss over the long-term.
Accordingly, the Lawrence County Hazard Mitigation Local Planning Team (LPT) composed of government leaders from Lawrence County, in cooperation with the elected officials of the County and its municipalities have prepared a Hazard Mitigation Plan Update (HMPU). The Plan is the result of work by citizens of the County to develop a pre-disaster multi-hazard mitigation plan that will not only guide the County towards greater disaster resistance, but will also respect the character and needs of the community.
The most comprehensive plan update was performed in 2018 and subsequently adopted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
Preparedness - "Preparing to handle an emergency"
Activities such as planning, emergency training and exercises, or public education regarding community preparedness that take place before an emergency occurs.
Response - "Responding safely to an emergency"
Actions taken to save lives and to prevent further property or environmental damage. Response is putting our preparedness plans into action.
Recovery - "Recovering from an emergency"
Actions taken to return to normal or even safer after an emergency.
Team 3700 Hazardous Materials:
The Hazardous Material Emergency Planning and Response Act, Pennsylvania Act 1990-165, was promulgated in December 1990 and amended in February 2001. It implements the planning and preparedness requirements of Federal SARA Title III. In order to comply with Act 165 as well as other Federal regulations, the Lawrence County Department of Public Safety coordinates readiness to hazardous materials incidents in Lawrence County through several measures:
- Lawrence County is a designated Local Emergency Planning District. Lawrence County has an active "Local Emergency Planning Committee" (LEPC) you can find more information about our LEPC Committee and can be obtained here.
- Lawrence County currently provides operational level response to hazardous materials incidents in Lawrence County. Offensive operations are currently provided through a contracted provider. Lawrence County is currently in the process of forming a Hazardous Materials Response Team (Team 3700) to provide offensive response. More information can be obtained here.
Mobile Command 3700:
Our Pierce Mobile Command Post is used for various incidents that is utilized by Police, Fire and EMS. This truck includes radio communication, internet, computers, mapping and a small conference room.
