Emergency Management is a community-wide effort to incorporate all available resources to mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from all emergencies and disasters.
While state and federal emergency response organizations exist, disasters impact local citizens and response is primarily performed by local organizations.
Williamson County is subject to over 80 different situations involving response or coordination by the Williamson County Emergency Management Agency. Major classifications of these activities include:
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On Friday, February 24, 1978, a major disaster occurred in Waverly, Tennessee that dramatically called attention to the need for a coordinated local effort to mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from all emergencies and disasters.
During cleanup activities from a twenty-three car train derailment two days before, one of five cars containing 30,000 gallons of liquefied petroleum gas ruptured. The resulting explosion and fire killed 16 people and injured 43 others and caused $1.8 million in property damage..
Answering a call for mutual aid, several Williamson County emergency services responded to the scene of the explosion. Shortly after returning from this incident, these professionals joined together to form a Community Disaster Planning Council with the primary goal of ensuring the protection of Williamson County residents in the event of a major disaster.
From that beginning, the Williamson County Civil Defense Organization was formed on May 21, 1979. The organization was renamed the Williamson County Emergency Management Agency in 1984 and became a full-time, funded department.
In 1987, construction was completed on the Williamson County Emergency Operations Center. Located in the county's Administrative Office Complex, the EOC is the central point of coordination for all emergency and disaster operations in the county, including designation as the seat of government during large-scale emergencies. From the Emergency Operations Center the Agency can quickly respond to support local emergency and disaster response. Assistance is coordinated through an integrated system of managing emergencies and involves local governments, state agencies and volunteer emergency service organizations.
WILLIAMSON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
1320 West Main, Suite B-30
Franklin, TN 37064
VOICE: (615) 790-5752
FAX: (615) 790-5490
Revised: September 07, 2006
Webmaster: Mike
Thompson, Director
