Emergency Management Agency
The Tattnall County Emergency Management Agency or TEMA is Tattnall County's disaster preparedness and emergency response organization. It is the goal of TEMA and its members to both plan for and respond to any emergency or disaster either natural or man-made.
The men and women of TEMA are volunteers who live in and around Tattnall County. Each member is trained in various areas of emergency response and disaster mitigation.
Safeguarding the lives and property of its people is an innate responsibility of government. TEMA maintains a comprehensive system to help residents of the county prepare for emergencies and deal with disasters should they occur. EMA works with governmental entities, the business community, and the private sector to encourage preparedness, response and recovery plans, while partnering with appropriate agencies to provide a focal point in emergency situations.
To achieve this goal, TEMA works closely with the following agencies:
- The Georgia Emergency Management Agency
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency
- The Tattnall Community Emergency Medical Service
- ?The Tattnall County Sheriff's Office
- All Tattnall County City Police Departments
- Tattnall County E911 Operations
- All Tattnall County City Fire Departments
- The Tattnall County Road Department
- All Tattnall County First Responders
- Other County EMAs in cases of mutual aid
The Emergency Management program is based on the requirements of the Georgia Emergency Management Act of 1981, as amended December 1992, and is responsible for developing and implementing comprehensive disaster planning, mitigation and response activities within Macon County
Through coordination and procedures for both natural and man-made disasters, EMA helps residents prepare for, respond to, recover from and mitigate the impacts of disasters.
Mitigation is any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from hazard events. It is a continuous process that occurs before, during and after disasters and serves to break the cycle of damage and repair in hazardous areas. It is estimated that for every dollar spent on mitigation, $4 dollars in future damages can be avoided. Effective mitigation is taking action now - before the next disaster happens.
The Emergency Management program also:
- Develops and maintains emergency plans for all types of natural and man-made hazards
- Provides the analysis and recommendations necessary to make decisions that will effectively save lives and protect property in such emergencies
EMA was originally established in the late 1960s as a Civil Defense agency. This era was during the Cold War when the United States and the Soviet Union faced each other with large nuclear weapons arsenals. Emphasis was placed on training citizens to initially survive a nuclear attack and then to have stockpiled provisions to survive during the aftermath and recovery.
As the threat of war lessened and the Cold War ended, the mission of EMA evolved into more than just preparation for nuclear war. It became responsible for facilitating the protection for county residents from natural, man-made, and weapons of mass destruction disasters. This includes, for example, hazardous chemical spills, severe weather disasters, and biological weapon attacks.
Tattnall County EMA is charged with the responsibility to:
- Develop and maintain all local emergency management programs, projects, and plans required by state and federal government.
- Maintain the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for Tattnall County and the cities within Tattnall County
- Provide 24-hour coordination of resources for large emergencies and disasters
- Provide 24-hour emergency coordination for multiple response agencies
- Provide liaison with local, state and federal authorities during major emergencies and disasters
- Develop, coordinate and conduct emergency management training and exercise programs
- Develop and distribute emergency management presentations, brochures, pamphlets, public service announcements and other relevant information for civic organizations, businesses and the general public