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: 
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.pdf (787 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
A - Warning and Notification.pdf (127 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
B - Direction and Control.pdf (173 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
C - Emergency Public Information.pdf (130 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
D - Search and Rescue.pdf ( 126 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
E - Public Health and Medical.pdf (219 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
F - Evacuation and Traffic Control.pdf (165 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
G - Fire Protection.pdf (130 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
H - Damage Assessment.pdf (130 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
I - Congregate Care.pdf (139 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
J - Debris Management.pdf (176 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
K - Utilities Restoration.pdf (173 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
L - Hazardous Materials.pdf (139 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
M - Transportation.pdf (144 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
N - Mass Fatalities.pdf (112 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
O - Legal.pdf (153 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
P - Finance and Administration.pdf (149 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
Q-Logistics.pdf (146 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
R - Donations Management.pdf (145 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
S - Animals.pdf (194 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
T - Planning (95 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
U - Communications.pdf (152 kb Adobe Acrobat file)
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 Marvin Klug , Emergency Management Director or call (320) 259-3940.
The Minnesota Departments of Health and Public Safety joined forces to help Minnesotans prepare for any hazard. The two agencies, along with a coalition of local public health and emergency response agencies, created codeReady in an effort to help every Minnesotan prepare.
CodeReady is a campaign that educates Minnesotans about the importance of preparation, and gives them the tools they need to prepare. CodeReady is based around a http://www.codeready.org website that helps people create a customized emergency plan and build a kit of emergency supplies. The site also connects visitors to resources in their local community that will help them get prepared.
“This campaign is not just about awareness, it's about action,” said Public Safety Commissioner Michael Campion. “We want Minnesotans to understand the importance of being prepared, and take steps to actually get prepared. The website will help them do that.”