Emergency Management
Hours of Operation: M-F 8am to 4pm
Emergency Management Coordinator Sarah Whaley
Michigan law requires every county to have an emergency management coordinator. The Office of Emergency Management fulfills that requirement for Lapeer County. The overall mission is to prepare the community for disasters.
When a community-wide emergency or disaster occurs, local officials gather at an emergency operations center (EOC) to coordinate response and recovery efforts.
Plans and procedures are in place for responding to a variety of events that could happen in Lapeer County.
Lapeer County follows guidance provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division. FEMA and the Michigan State Police set standards for planning and training. They also keep Lapeer County informed of regulatory and program changes, advances in technology, and lessons learned from disasters in other parts of the country.
The Office of Emergency Management is responsible for managing local homeland security initiatives. The emergency management coordinator is a member of the Region 3 Homeland Security Planning Board.
Emergency Resources
- Alert Lapeer County (Nixle) (Alert Lapeer County is a text/email alerting system which is used to notify the public of severe emergencies and other critical information relevant to the citizens of the county.)
- American Red Cross App (The American Red Cross offers iOS and Android apps for a variety of disasters from general emergency, hurricanes, tornados and earthquakes.)
- NOAA Weather Radio Link/Picture (Get a weather radio to be notified by the National Weather Service of any incoming severe weather. Local frequencies are available at this link.)
- Family Preparedness Guide (This is a helpful guide for a variety of adverse situations families may find themselves in, from preparing for tornado’s, flood, and other extreme weather conditions. It also provides after action steps to take when you’re affected by these disasters. Preparedness is key in being able to weather the storms rather than being overwhelmed by them.)
- Ready.gov (This federal website is designed to assist people in preparing for the worst to happen. It covers scenarios for severe weather, financial preparedness, kids, pets, and people with disabilities. It can assist with building your own disaster supplies kit and more.
- Severe Weather Awareness The National Weather Service has information on severe thunderstorm safety, tornado safety as well as lightning and flood safety tips.
- Tornado Siren Monthly Test (The Lapeer County Fire Association conducts regular tornado siren tests on the first Saturday of the month at 1pm. This is done April through October)
- Skywarn- (Skywarn is a National Weather Service program to train citizens on how to identify tornados, their formation and the dangers of severe thunderstorms.)
- Floodsmart.gov FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program provide information and offers for coverage of your home in the event of a flood. It is important to know that most homeowner’s insurance and mortgage companies do not cover flood damage by default. Typically, flood insurance is carried as a rider or separate insurance altogether. Don’t wait for a flood to happen before checking to see if you’re covered. Check now!
- Ok 2 Say This is a program for school safety where students can report tips in confidence, not worrying about retaliation. This program is in partnership with the Michigan State Police and participating school districts.
- See Something, Say Something Is a program through the Department of Homeland Security. It focuses on the ability to report suspicious activity in your daily life and across our communities.
- Hazard Mitigation Plan This plan is updated every 4 years by local public officials to include a list of potential hazards that could happen in Michigan and Lapeer County. The list includes criteria such as potential for occurrence, number of affected people, economic impact, and the county’s ability to mitigate those hazards. This plan was last updated and approved by the State of Michigan in 2022