County Emergency Management

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County EM Overview

Because disasters start locally, county emergency management coordinators and agencies have a vital role in preparation for, response to, and recovery fromdisasters – both natural and man-made. Local emergency management agencies are the backbone of the state’s emergency management system. They provide coordination of local resources and work in partnership with HSEMD to ensure the emergency management and response communities have adequately planned, and are well-equipped, trained, and exercised.

Local Commissions

County boards of supervisors, city councils, and the sheriff in each county must establish a commission to carry out the provisions of Iowa law (Iowa Code, Chapter 29C). These local commissions each appoint an emergency management coordinator, who is responsible to fulfill the commission’s duties. Two or more county commissions (with the approval of their respective boards of supervisors and cities) may enter into an agreement for a multi-county emergency management agency.

6 planning Districts

Iowa is made up of six different homeland security planning districts. Each district has its own board, chair, and vice chair.

The Iowa Emergency Management Association (IEMA) has divided the state into six emergency management planning districts, which are geographically the same as Iowa HSEMD’s homeland security planning regions. View IEMA’s district information.

Each homleand security region/emergency management district is assigned a different HSEMD planner to assist the coordinators in their emergency plan development and other related needs.

District Contact Information

District 1

Mark Shearer, HSEMD Planner
Counties: Boone, Calhoun, Carroll, Dallas, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hardin, Jasper, Marshall, Polk, Poweshiek, Story, Tama, Warren, Webster

District 2

Sarah Diedrich, HSEMD Planner
Counties: Allamakee, Bremer, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Emmet, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Hancock, Howard, Humboldt, Kossuth, Mitchell, Winnebago, Winneshiek, Worth, Wright

District 3

Mark Shearer, HSEMD Planner
Counties: Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Crawford, Dickinson, Ida, Lyon, Monona, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Sac, Sioux, Woodbury

District 4

Joe Ascherl, HSEMD Planner
Counties: Adair, Adams, Audubon, Cass, Clarke, Decatur, Fremont, Guthrie, Harrison, Madison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Shelby, Taylor, Union

District 5

Joe Ascherl, HSEMD Planner
Counties: Appanoose, Davis, Des Moines, Henry, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lee, Louisa, Lucas, Mahaska, Marion, Monroe, Muscatine, Van Buren, Wapello, Washington, Wayne

District 6

Sarah Diedrich, HSEMD Planner
Counties: Benton, Black Hawk, Buchanan, Cedar, Clayton, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, Iowa, Jackson, Johnson, Jones, Linn, Scott