The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management is made of several divisions that enable the department’s core mission of planning, preparedness, response, and recovery to emergencies, special events, and other assignments.

From Operations, Planning, Public Engagement, Finance, and the Regional Integration Center, OEM saw a move back towards normality in 2021 led by vaccines to combat the COVID-19 virus.

The office remained involved in the pandemic response as OEM’s Emergency Operations Center, which was opened March 11th of 2020 to coordinate the city’s response to coronavirus, continued its work with partners and the public. OEM also planned and assisted with the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, rapid tests, and transit passes to clinics. 

The past year also brought special events like large concerts and marathons back to the city, for which OEM developed public safety plans with agencies as well as responding to the events.

There were also large-scale emergency responses from a July rainstorm that impacted Northeast Philadelphia and Hurricane Ida that brought record-level flooding to our area.  OEM coordinated city services for residents and businesses who were impacted along with initiating recovery efforts, including economic.

Part of emergency management is being ready to respond to whatever comes your way, and the office’s involvement in planning and response for Operations Allies Refuge PHL demonstrated that.

On the topic of preparation and response, the office also exhausted long hours in 2021 updating the city’s Hazard Mitigation Plan, which looks at emergency issues of all sizes and shapes in the city and ways to minimize and mitigate those risks.

Direct outreach to the public expanded in 2021 as the Public Engagement division was able to resume their emergency preparedness contact, including a push to get more under-represented, diverse groups into the field of emergency management through the national HERricane program. OEM also brought on a new role, the Emergency Management Liaison Officer, who works with first-responders, partner organizations, residents, and businesses during emergencies of any size to ensure unmet needs are realized.

Get more insight into the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management and learn how to stay connected with our 2021 Fact Sheet.