Skip to agency navigation
Skip to main content

Official Website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    The .gov means its official.

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 
    Ready Communities

    Planning

    Emergency managers plan ahead in order to protect lives and property for those who depend on us.

    Pennsylvania Emergency Operations Plan (PDF)
    A historic community street in Philadelphia.

    Overview

    By their very nature, emergencies are chaotic. A planning process will reduce this chaos and ensure that we can provide needed protection.

    Local and County Emergency Operations Plans

    Emergency planning should involve members of the community, including:

    • Emergency preparedness partners
    • Local faith leaders
    • Nonprofits
    • Those with access and functional needs

    This ensures that theeds of all citizens in a commity are accounted for in planning. We encourage county and local emergency managers to use federal guidance when creating or updating their emergency operations plans.

    Federal Guidance (PDF)

    School and Child Care Safety

    Working with school districts, child care facilities, and Pennsylvania communities to prepare for and prevent crisis, emergency, and disaster

    Details
    A young boy writes notes at his school desk.

    Dam Safety

    Dam owners are required to conduct periodic inspections and develop an emergency action plan to provide for the safety of people and property that might be flooded, should the dam fail. We work with the Department of Environmental Protection to administer the program, and coordinate with counties to review high-hazard dam plans for operational effectiveness. 

    More About Dam Safety

    Urban Security

    Pennsylvania has Urban Area Security Initiatives in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Every year, we are required to complete a Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment/Stakeholder Preparedness Review. This maintains our eligibility for federal preparedness grants. The hazards and risks identified in the review become areas for improvement that drive our priorities for planning, training, exercises, and resource management for the upcoming year.

    Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (PDF)
    Handbook for Municipal Officials (PDF)

    Climate Resilience

    Climate change is an urgent issue we face together. Reources for emergency managers:

    Virtual Planner

    Access preparedness plans from a centralized virtual library to ensure that everyone is working from the most up-to-date versions.

    CEM Planner