Emergency Management

EMA with LEC 2


HUMBOLDT COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT


      Phone:  515-332-4809 
           Cell:  515-890-0018
            Fax:  515-890-2792

   Address:  Humboldt County EMA, 426 Sumner Ave., Humboldt, IA 50548
        Email:  kbissell@humboldtcounty.iowa.gov

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Humboldt County Emergency Management Agency & Homeland Security:  A little History Lesson

The history of Humboldt County Emergency Management actually began in the 1940's and was know then as Civil Defense.  It was created in the early days of World War II, on the May 20, 1940 President Roosevelt created the "Office of Civilian Defense" Roosevelt considered the United States to be in "...a state of unlimited emergency" and recommended that communities create plans to deal with the potential dangers that existed.  That threat became reality on December 7, 1941 when Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The end of World War II would not bring an end to the Civil Defense department as the U.S. was then involved in a Cold War.  This period of Civil Defense brought "backyard" shelters and "duck and cover" drills in our schools.

In 1979, President Carter created the Federal Emergency Management Agency known simply as FEMA.  This would shift the arena of work to preparation and mitigation for natural disasters such as tornados and flooding.  However, the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, would bring Emergency Management full turn again to and begin preparing for a new danger, terrorist actions such as - "dirty bombs", biological agents and even our own airplanes.

Emergency Management Agency in Humboldt County

As prescribed by Iowa Code, the Humboldt County Emergency Management Agency is overseen by a commission comprised of the mayor of each community, a representative of the Board of Supervisors and the County Sheriff.

Our Mission in Humboldt County is:

  • To Prepare
  • To Respond
  • To Recover
  • To Mitigate
This is to provide a service to local communities and the county, helping them with all that may affect them.  We are involved with all responders in the County also to help train, make plans for, and respond to incidents. 

Humboldt County Emergency Management is also taking an active part in building a regional response.  The following counties comprise Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Region II (Emmet, Kossuth, Humboldt, Winnebago, Hancock, Wright, Worth, Cerro Gordo, Franklin, Mitchell, Floyd, Butler, Howard, Chickasaw, Bremer, Winneshiek, Fayette, and Allamakee, all counties have signed a mutual aide agreements.  Humboldt County has a well-trained CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and have provided storm spotter training to nearly 60 members from Humboldt County and the surrounding area to respond when weather turns bad.

ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT INFORMATION

Additional Information

Description

Last Updated

HUMBOLDT COUNTY EMERGENCY PLAN Basic Plan 06/03/2015