EMERGENCY  MANAGEMENT

Director Preston Bowlin
Emergency Management Director
jbowlin@marionso.com

The Emergency Management Division is Marion County’s lead agency for coordination of emergency and disaster response activities. Emergency Management’s mission is to provide a comprehensive and aggressive emergency preparedness response, recovery and mitigation program in order to save lives, protect property and reduce the effects of disasters in Marion County.

The staff of Emergency Management is responsible for developing and coordinating programs that protect the public’s health and safety from large scale hazards, such as exposure to biological and chemical agents, explosive and incendiary devices and natural disasters.

Our daily responsibilities include:

Deputy Director Erin Miller
Emergency Management Deputy Director
emiller@marionso.com

  • Monitoring severe weather and tropical weather conditions;

  • Provide response to natural, manmade and technological events;

  • Develop and coordinate programs that will protect the public’s health and safety from large scale natural and technological hazards;

  • Maintain a registry of special needs residents;

  • Provide assistance to other emergency management programs;

  • Provide mutual aid assistance to other jurisdictions;

  • Comply with federal and state emergency management regulations and standards;

  • Review emergency plans for nursing homes, assisted living facilities, ambulatory centers and hospitals;

  • Collection and distribution of emergency related information;

  • Conduct emergency and disaster preparedness seminars and trainings;

  • Participate in emergency drills and exercises;

  • Develop and maintain the County’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan; serve as a liaison to the Florida Division of Emergency Management

Emergency Management Preparedness

Community talks, presentations, and events are a major part of our continuous efforts to prepare Marion County for any disaster. Education of the public is vital to a successful program. Tours of the Emergency Operations Center are not only popular but help educate our citizens to the importance of assuring that government continues to operate during any situation which threatens the county.

Emergency Management has over twelve hundred special needs citizens enrolled in the registry. Annually we review emergency plans for and inspect over eighty health facilities in Marion County. We also host an annual training for the staff of living assisted facilities in which they earn professional credits towards their certifications.