Essex County Emergency Services

MISSION STATEMENT 

Our mission is to protect the lives and property of the citizens and visitors of Essex County, while providing safe, timely, and effective emergency services

CORE VALUES

Dedication

Respect

Integrity

Empathy

Essex County Emergency Services is responsible for the planning and implementation of Emergency Response Plans and Standards to Prepare, Mitigate and Respond to manmade and natural events that occur.  These responsibilities are not limited to Regulating and managing the provision of pre-hospital emergency patient care and services and for regulating providers of the non-emergency transportation of patients requiring medical services.

Essex County Emergency Services is responsible for coordination, regulating and managing the provision of system-wide fire prevention, protection, rescue services, suppression services, and for provision of services related to hazardous materials and similar hazards which pose a threat to life and property to include:

1. Manage delivery of services for natural and manmade disasters or weather-related emergencies.
2. Manage delivery services for communications needs for the emergency response agencies within Essex County. 
3. Responsible for any additional related services which are necessary for the provision of fire and emergency medical services. 
4. Perform and deliver services consistent with state laws, county ordinances, and duly adopted policies, procedures, protocols, and guidelines of the departments providing emergency services to Essex County

Essex County Emergency Services is compiled of:

•  Emergency Management, the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters.
•  Emergency Medical Services, the emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilization for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care.
• Fire Service, Coordination with approved response agencies and the prevention and suppression of fire, homeland security response, hazardous materials response, rescue, fire marshal, and reduction of risks to the community.
• Hazardous Materials, the response to incidents involving the presence, spillage, containment, or other involvement in the response of hazardous materials as defined by the Federal government or State Department of Health and Environmental Control
• Rescue Service, the service of providing technical expertise to search for persons who have become lost or to render emergency service to persons who are in dangerous or perilous circumstance and bring people out of danger, and/or, harm from these incidents.
• Communications, the technologies for managing information for police, fire, ambulance service and the land mobile radio system for Law and Emergency Services.

In case of emergency to your family or property, calling 911 should be your first action.

Here are some vital links for disaster preparedness:

• Get a Kit - Prepare the Kit beforehand
• Stay Informed - Where to get info during an emergency
• Have a Plan - Put a Family Plan together
• Shelter Info - Emergency Shelter information when opened
• Check the message log - Emergency Messages (current and past)
• Thunder & Lightning - Storm Safety and Preparedness
• Safe Snow Shoveling Tips - Keep yourself safe after the storm
• Introduction to the Safe & Well Website - Information about a free, easy tool that people can use to let their loved ones, friends and colleagues know that they are safe, provided by the American Red Cross
• Virginia Department of Health Zika Virus Information - You can prevent the spread of the Zika virus. Find out what simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your family this summer from the Virginia Department of Health.