User:Publius.valarius.publicola/Ohio Emergency Management Agency

The Ohio Emergency Management Agency (Ohio EMA) is a State of Ohio agency. The Ohio Emergency Management Agency is the Agency that coordinates Federal, State, local and private resources throughout the state during times of disasters and emergencies.

It is headquartered in Columbus on State Route 161. There are also three regional radiological preparedness offices, in Columbiana County, Lake County, and Ottawa County.

Ohio EMA’s Mission
The Ohio Emergency Management Agency (Ohio EMA) is the state agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the State of Ohio. Ohio EMA provides leadership to: develop plans for effective response to all hazards, disasters or threats; train emergency personnel to protect the public; provide information to Ohioans; and assist individuals, families, businesses and communities to mitigate, prepare for, and respond to and recover from emergencies, both natural and man made.

Ohio EMA Executive Directors Office
Ohio EMA is a part of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. The Ohio Emergency Management Agency is lead by Executive Director Nancy J. Dragani.

Executive Director
As director of the Ohio EMA, Nancy J. Dragani leads the state's coordinated preparedness and response to both man-made and natural disasters, administers the State Homeland Security Funding Program, and oversees disaster recovery and mitigation efforts. Ms. Dragani was reappointed to her position by Governor Ted Strickland in 2007 and Governor John R. Kasich in 2011. She has been the director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency since January 2005.

Prior to becoming executive director, Ms. Dragani served as the Director of Operations at Ohio EMA where she was responsible for emergency preparedness training, exercises, planning, homeland security and preparedness grants and response operations in the State Emergency Operations Center during disasters.

Ms. Dragani is one of two state emergency management directors on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Advisory Council and the immediate past president of the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA).

During her career, Ms. Dragani has held a variety of positions with local, state and the federal government including the director of administration and public information chief for the Ohio EMA, editor of the Ohio National Guard's quarterly magazine, and radio and television broadcaster with the United States Army. Ms. Dragani retired from the Ohio National Guard with 22 years of combined U.S. Army, Army National Guard and Air National Guard service.

Ms. Dragani graduated summa cum laude from Ohio Dominican College, with a Bachelor of Arts, emphasis in communications.

Ms. Dragani resides with her husband and two children in Columbus, Ohio.

Executive Administrative Assistant
Linda Haller

Chief of Staff
Jessie T. Baker

Public Affairs Officer
Tamara McBride

Legal Counsel
Assistant Attorney General Tammy Little

Operations Division
The Operations Division of Ohio EMA maintains and operates the state Emergency Operations Center (EOC), monitoring emergencies statewide through the Communications Division 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The state EOC serves as the command and control center for the State during an emergency.

The Operations Division manages and coordinates emergency response efforts for the State. Through Ohio EMA regional offices, it coordinates the response to requests for aid from local authorities upon depletion of their local resources.

The Ohio Emergency Management Team (MEMT) is prepared and trained by the Operations Division. MEMT's members are the many state, Federal, local, volunteer, public and private agencies and organizations which are represented at the State EOC during activation for an emergency for better coordination of the State's assets.

Operations Division also is responsible for updating and publishing the Governor's Emergency Notification Roster, preparing and maintaining Ohio EMA's master calendar, and assuring that Ohio EMA maintains a high degree of preparedness and readiness.

Management of the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) activities; planning, training, grant management, and SERC sub-committees is the responsibility of the Ohio EMA Hazardous Materials Coordinator within the Planning Department.

Plans Branch
The Plans Branch works with municipal, state, federal, and volunteer organizations on a variety of emergency management planning issues. The Planning Department assists communities in the development and maintenance of their Emergency Operations Plans (CEMP), addressing mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery from natural and technological emergencies.

The Planning Branch also maintains the State Emergency Operations Plan. The State EOP is utilized by Ohio EMA to manage multi-agency state response to large-scale emergencies. The State EOP provides linkage to the National Response Plan for requesting federal disaster assistance.

Finally, the Planning Department supports planning for hazard-specific events such as major aircraft accidents, debris management, terrorism, donations management and other topics.

Readiness and Response Branch
Responsible for the upkeep of the State of Ohio Emergency Operations Center. Coordinates with Ohio EMA's partner agencies to coordinate their preparedness for operating during an EOC activation.

Also coordinates the State of Ohio Citizen Corps Council and associated programs throughout Ohio.

Radiological Branch
Coordinates statewide preparedness for nuclear power plant accidents and radiological shipments.