Office of Emergency Management

Mission Statement

The mission of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is to provide a comprehensive Emergency Management System which coordinates people and resources to protect the lives, property and environment of the City of Passaic using an all-hazard approach through mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery from disaster and emergencies.

How the OEM Achieves Its Mission

  • Mitigation -Activities that eliminate or reduce the risk of disaster (insurance, building codes, flood plain management, public education)
  • Preparedness -Planning, exercise, training, public information systems and warning
  • Response -Direction/Control, warning, evacuation, emergency service to address immediate and short term effects of an emergency/ disaster
  • Recovery
    1. Short term - those operations that seek to restore critical services and meet basic needs
    2. Long term - those actions that restore the community to its normal state
    3. Mitigation measures such as temporary housing and food, restoring non-vital City services

Responsibilities

The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is responsible, by Federal and State Law, for the coordination of all the Emergency Services in the City of Passaic. This includes:

  • Emergency Medical Services
  • Fire
  • Health Department
  • Police
  • Public Works
  • All additional agencies contributing to any large scale emergency incident or disaster

Emergency incidents can strike anytime, anywhere and in many forms, such as a hurricane, snow storm, earthquake, flood, etc., or an act of terrorism.

Teamwork

Besides working closely with the Police Chief, Fire Chief, and Emergency Medical Services, the Passaic Office of Emergency Management receives support from the Passaic County Office of Emergency Management and the New Jersey State Office of Emergency Management. Membership is also held in the New Jersey State Emergency Management Association where experience and knowledge are shared by all Emergency Management personnel.

OEM’s Role

Should an emergency arise that would cause the activation of the Office of Emergency Management Organization, and Department Heads Would remain in charge of their respective sections. However, requests for communications, movements, resources and needs would be coordinated through the incident command post site or at the Emergency Operations Center.