Emergency Management (EM) Office Overview

The Emergency Management Program has five primary defined objectives:

• Conduct agency emergency management planning to make Health and Medical Assistance available to Agency and Tribal jurisdictions during emergencies and disasters.
• Manage and operate the Agency's capabilities for responding to public health and medical related emergencies and disasters.
• Enhance IHS's emergency management system to improve the agency's emergency preparedness and response to natural disasters and acts of terrorism.
• Provide technical assistance, guidance, and training to Agency and Tribal jurisdictions to enhance local health and medical preparedness objectives.
• Conduct a public information program to provide emergency management health and medical information to Agency and Tribal jurisdictions.
• The focus areas are planning, prevention and mitigation, training, and awareness.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Indian Health Service Emergency Management Program is to improve the ability of American Indian and Alaska Native to prepare, respond, recover, and mitigate the effects of natural or man-made disasters through a network of solid emergency management principles and technical assistance.

IHS Concept of Operations

The IHS Concept of Operations (CONOPS) has the following key features:

• National Incident Management System (NIMS) Compliant
• Reinforces the Tribal Support Annex of the National Response Plan
• Uses pre-defined team structures that support the key categories of response capabilities
• Creates 12 Area Emergency Management Points of Contacts (EMPOC's) under unified structure
• Coordinates the deployment of Agency Personnel for Departmental and Agency requests