The City of St. Petersburg Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is responsible for citywide emergency planning, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery for all types and scales of emergencies. The local government is the first line of defense for citizens confronting the impacts of a disaster. OEM coordinates the response to emergencies with City departments and area stakeholders.
Preparedness: Public Education
To better prepare members of the St. Petersburg community in the event of an emergency, OEM provides public education. OEM offers services to those who live, work, or visit the city to empower them to be better prepared to take action following a disaster. If you are interested in having someone from our emergency management team come speak at your event please fill out the form on the Forms & Requests page.
Preparedness: Planning
OEM is responsible for the Disaster Operations Plan that acts as a blueprint for the mitigation, response and recovery from a disaster. The Disaster Operations Plan is developed in coordination with all City departments and is trained and exercised annually.
Response
During a disaster, OEM provides overall coordination for Citywide response efforts. This may involve activation of the Emergency Operation Center (EOC). The EOC serves as the single gathering point for representatives from City departments and partner agencies. The EOC facilitates resource coordination, mutual aid, and policy decisions.
Recovery
Following a disaster, OEM facilitates getting the City and impacted residents assistance. OEM assists in the coordination of both short-term and long-term recovery functions. Short-term recovery efforts begin immediately following an emergency or disaster, as the City works to restore basic services and function. Long-term recovery involves restoring economic activity and rebuilding communities and citizen’s quality of life.
Mitigation
OEM is responsible for participating in the Pinellas County Local Mitigation Strategy.