Stearns County Emergency Preparedness
The Emergency Management Department works with a wide variety of other government departments and agencies, law enforcement personnel, non-profit organizations and volunteers to mitigate, prepare for and respond to disasters in Stearns County.
Several projects and partnerships are of particular importance in the efforts to prepare Stearns County for any hazard: 
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To guide responders during disasters, Stearns County uses an Emergency Operations Plan. This exhaustive document is divided into "annexes" that address the role of different agencies and types of responders for all types of emergencies. The county updates the plan on a yearly basis, and submits it for approval by the Board of Commissioners.
Basic Plan (495 kb Adobe Acrobat)
A - Warning and Notification (98 kb Adobe Acrobat)
B - Direction and Control (164 kb Adobe Acrobat)
C - Emergency Public Information (124 kb Adobe Acrobat)
D - Search and Rescue (97 kb Adobe Acrobat)
E - Public Health and Medical (189 kb Adobe Acrobat)
F - Evacuation and Traffic Control ( 142 kb Adobe Acrobat)
G - Fire Protection (118 kb Adobe Acrobat)
H - Damage Assessment (123 kb Adobe Acrobat)
I - Congregate Care (119 kb Adobe Acrobat)
J - Debris Management (171 kb Adobe Acrobat)
K - Utilities Restoration (138 kb Adobe Acrobat)
L - Hazardous Materials (133 kb Adobe Acrobat)
M - Transportation (137 kb Adobe Acrobat)
N - Mass Fatalities (102 kb Adobe Acrobat)
O - Legal (142 kb Adobe Acrobat)
P - Finance and Administration (129 kb Adobe Acrobat)
Q - Logistics ( 132 kb Adobe Acrobat)
R - Donations Management (140 kb Adobe Acrobat)
S - Animals (164 kb Adobe Acrobat)
T - Planning (92 kb Adobe Acrobat)
U - Communications (121 kb Adobe Acrobat)
The basis for the Continuity of Operations Plan is to provide a framework for identifying and carrying out the essential functions of local government within Stearns County. Continuity of operations plans can be utilized for many types of events including natural, technological and health related disasters, and for that reason can be considered all-hazard in nature. Stearns County’s plan identifies the essential functions, key personnel, delegation of authority, alternate facilities, communications, vital records and technical support required to provide essential services to residents of Stearns County.
Due to the content of the Continuity of Operations Plan it will not be posted on the Stearns County public website, per Minnesota Data Practices Act Statute 13.37 Sub 1(a).
An important step toward preparedness is a recognition of all the hazards facing Stearns County. To that end, an "All-Hazard Mitigation Plan" has been written, following extensive research and surveying in the county. As defined by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), mitigation is "the cornerstone of emergency management. It's the ongoing effort to lessen the impact disasters have on people's lives and property through prevention."
The Plan is in three parts: community profile, hazard profile and mitigation strategies. The first two parts identify the precise characteristics of Stearns County - from population density to soil types - and the third identifies the hazards that exist or are most likely to occur in our county, for example, winter storms. The mitigation strategies offer ways to overcome or lessen the vulnerabilities identified in the community and hazard profiles.
We welcome comments and input on the Plan. Email the Emergency Management Department or call (320) 259-3940.