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EMA OrganizationMaine has 482 jurisdictions and 16 counties, all of which have the requirement to appoint an Emergency Management Agency Director/liaison. At any level, the EMA's duties are to oversee planning, training, and preparing for emergency response during non-disaster times, and to coordinator the Emergency Operations Center during disasters. The responsibilities placed on this organization are great. The EMA is the primary agent for the elected officials during disasters, and correctly trained, as an invaluable resource when disaster strikes. At county level, the Emergency Management Agency Director is usually a full-time employee. However, in most local municipalities, the EMA Director is either a volunteer, or a full-time employee assigned the role of EMA Director in addition to their other daily duties. The County EMA Director serves as a link between the local jurisdictions and the State for both the collection and the dissemination of information throughout the disasters. Considering his importance to the county, it is crucial that the right person is selected for the job. Emergency Management Agency organizations vary widely depending on hazards, population, geographic size, and available funding. Emergency management responsibilities are shared by all levels of government. Local and County government are the front line of the emergency management organization. The EMA organization is not a replacement for the police, fire, ambulance, Red Cross, or other emergency response groups. The Emergency Management Agency coordinates response and recovery in declared disasters when more than one department is responding to a threat. In Maine, the County Emergency Management Agency coordinates emergency response when a disaster extends beyond the normal mutual aid boundaries of the affected community, or when several communities are involved. County Directors provide guidance, planning models, home study courses, and workshops on emergency management to the local communities and their own EMA staff. The County Director also hosts periodic Local EMA Director Meetings to keep the local directors provided with up-to-date information. |
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