Mission 

The mission of the Athens-Clarke County Emergency Management Office (EMA) is to provide a comprehensive and aggressive all-hazards approach to homeland security and disaster initiatives, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery, and special events. The purpose of our mission is to protect life and property and to prevent and/or reduce the negative impact of natural and man-made events in Athens-Clarke County.

 Response 

When disaster strikes, sometimes the destruction is so severe that the county’s responders are overwhelmed. That is when EMA steps in to help and may ask the governor to declare a state of emergency in order to make state resources available to the afflicted area.

 Recovery 

It can take years for a community to recover from a disaster, and EMA is there every step of the way. Whether coordinating clean-up efforts, educating victims about available relief programs, distributing disaster relief funds, or providing communities with the tools to identify public structures in areas that are at risk of damage, EMA is ready to address the consequences of disaster and reduce future risk.