Administration

Iowa Code, Chapter 29C.9 calls for the establishment of Local Emergency Management Commissions to oversee local emergency management functions within each county through the establishment of an emergency management agency which is considered a joint county-municipal public safety agency, independent of the established county government and incorporated municipalities within the county. The Commission is comprised of a member of the County Board of Supervisors, the sheriff, and the mayor from each city within the county. 

The commission appoints an emergency management coordinator to lead the agency and delegates their authority to the coordinator in order to fulfill the Commission’s duties as described in the Code of Iowa and the Administrative Rules. When a disaster or emergency occurs, the emergency management coordinator provides the coordination and assistance to the governing officials of the municipalities and the county. 

The minimum duties & responsibilities of the commission are outlined in Chapter 7 of Iowa Administrative Code 605 and include:

• Establishing, maintaining, and funding an emergency management agency. 
• Provide direction for the delivery of emergency management services of planning, administration, coordination, training, exercising, and support for local governments and their departments. 
• Coordinate emergency management activities and services among county and city governments and the private sector. 
• Identify and assess hazards and risks, conduct capability assessments of jurisdictions. 
• Resource management. 
• Develop and maintain the countywide comprehensive emergency plan consisting of response, recovery, and mitigation; applicable to all jurisdictions within the county. 
• Establish and maintain the capability to effectively direct, control and coordinate emergency and disaster response and recovery efforts. 
• Develop and maintain a damage assessment capability consistent with local, state and federal requirements and shall designate individuals responsible for the function.
• Identify a means of disseminating warnings to the public, key officials, emergency response personnel and those other persons within the jurisdiction that may be potentially affected. 
• The commission encourages public and private agencies that have defined responsibilities in the comprehensive emergency plan to develop standard operating procedures, policies, and directives in support of the plan. 
• Arranges for and actively supports ongoing emergency management related training for local public officials, responders, volunteers, and support staff. 
• Ensures that exercise activities are conducted annually in accordance with local, state and federal requirements.
• Ensure a public information capability.

IOWA CODE 29.C - EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT & SECURITY

IOWA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE [605] CHAPTER 7 - LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

The Commission meets to authorize emergency management programs, approve emergency plans and updates on behalf of their local jurisdictions, and to sustain a comprehensive emergency management program by approving budgets to support the required work and by communicating the needs and priorities of their local jurisdictions. Check here for meeting information.