Overview
Our response efforts involve maintaining the highest state of preparedness. We stand ready to respond on a moment's notice to provide leadership, response coordination and management, situational awareness, emergency communications, and to support county and local governments in providing critical lifesaving and life-sustaining services in Pennsylvania.
Our watch center is staffed by professional watch officers with a variety of emergency backgrounds, such as military veterans, 911 center operators, and local/county emergency responders.
Commonwealth Watch & Warning Center
Within our headquarters, we have a center that maintains 24/7 situational awareness of hazards that might require state response or be of interest to state leadership.
Pennsylvania's Warning Point
Our center also serves as the commonwealth’s warning point to alert citizens and notify other governmental, nongovernmental, and private partner agencies of emergent critical information concerning life safety and property preservation.
It receives incident notifications, mostly from 911 centers or county emergency management officials.
Counties are required to report a wide range of incidents to us. Private-sector entities submit hazardous material incident reports, as required by regulation.
Information is analyzed, managed, and distributed to appropriate federal and state agencies, volunteer organizations, and private-sector partners.
