Emergency Response Plans
Our emergency response plans content aims to educate you on the various levels and types of emergencies that could occur in the Osceola County community. We'll also provide insights into how our County's emergency operations work to protect and assist you during these times.
Emergency Response
Understanding Emergency Activation Levels
The Osceola County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) operates at three different levels of activation to ensure your safety:
Level 3 (Green): Monitoring Activation - This is the EOC's normal state. Emergency management personnel and communication staff are on duty, monitoring conditions and notifying selected staff members who need to take action as part of their regular responsibilities.
Level 2 (Orange): Elevated Activation - When the EOC moves to Level 2, all emergency management staff are notified. The EOC is staffed by emergency management personnel, necessary support staff, and outside agencies as needed to meet the operational needs of the incident.
Level 1 (Red): Full Activation - In a full activation scenario, all primary and support agencies are notified. The county EOC is fully staffed by emergency management personnel, and all necessary emergency support functions are conducted, including the Executive Policy Group.
Evacuation
Explore Flood Evacuation Routes
For any questions about evacuation in Osceola County, please contact the Office Of Emergency Management at 407-742-9000.
Understanding Weather Threats in Osceola County
Weather Threats: As a Storm Ready Community, Osceola County faces various weather threats including severe thunderstorms, hail, high winds, tornadoes, and hurricanes. To stay informed about these hazards, we recommend using a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio. Despite its name, this device notifies the population about a wide range of hazards, not just weather-related ones. You can learn more about the NOAA All Hazards Radio [here].
The Weather Service Field Office for Osceola County is in Melbourne, Florida, and provides a variety of forecast products available on its website.
Explore Weather Service Forecasting Tools
Osceola County also supports SKYWARN, a group of trained weather spotters who provide ground-truth weather information during threatening weather conditions.
Learn More About SKYWARN Storm Spotter Program
Understanding Terrorism Threats in Osceola County
According to the United States Code of Federal Regulation, terrorism is defined as the unlawful use of force and violence against people or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.
This means that Osceola County, like any other place, could potentially be a target of domestic or foreign terrorism. The impact of such acts could have far-reaching consequences beyond our county's borders.
To ensure safety, we urge everyone to stay alert, be aware of their surroundings, and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.
If you're unsure which agency to contact, you can call the Sheriff's Office at 407-348-1100.
Emergency Operations
Understanding Emergency Operations in Osceola County
Osceola County follows the National Incident Management System (NIMS), a system mandated by Homeland Security Presidential Directive #5 in 2003, to manage all incidents, emergencies, and disasters. This system has led to revisions in many of our plans and operational methods.
Typically, emergency operations centers are organized by Emergency Support Functions (ESFs), with a coordinating agency responsible for each ESF. To manage these functions effectively, Osceola County uses the Incident Command System (ICS), a proven management tool.
With the ICS and a multi-jurisdictional Executive Policy Group, we can manage any incident with clear direction and effective planning, minimizing duplication of efforts.
For a complete review of our EOC Operational Guidelines, please refer to the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) Appendix A.
The CEMP is updated every four years and provides the foundation for all activity within the Office of Emergency Management. It includes emergency operations and contains the EOC Operations Guide as a specific annex.
The overall program is built on the Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment, which provides a quantitative analysis updated every year with a major revision every five years.
Standard Operations
Osceola County provides many emergency services daily, some of which overlap with city government jurisdictions. While cities within the county provide many services to their citizens, they also depend on Osceola County for services such as social services, health, sheltering of evacuees, and Emergency Management.
Emergency management is everyone's responsibility - every employee as well as the public. We must maintain the highest standards in preparedness and planning efforts to meet specific compliance criteria as mandated by Homeland Security Presidential Directive #5.
During threatening conditions, we activate proactively according to the threat level. When activation occurs, the Executive Policy Group convenes to receive direct information and provide priority decision-making.
There are three levels of activation: Level 1 (highest) to Level 3 (lowest).
More information can be found in the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) Appendix A.