Should Emergency Management Report to Elected Official, CEO?

Where should emergency management be located on the organizational chart? It's an ongoing issue for business, nonprofit and government organizations. Two options are to have it report directly to the chief elected official or chief executive officer, or be part of a larger department.

In government, many emergency management programs have moved around within a jurisdiction. Emergency management in King County, Wash., has moved from the sheriff's office, to under the county executive and then to an administrative department. This movement in the program's placement isn't that unusual.

So where should the program reside? The "textbook solution" insists the best place is directly under the chief elected official. This way there's a personal connection and the weight of that office's authority to support the accomplishment of the necessary program elements during all phases of emergency management.

There are ups and downs to each option. This official may lack knowledge or not care about the emergency management function. Most elected officials live in the present; worrying about something that "might happen" isn't natural for them. Another issue for a stand-alone organization is that when budget cuts come, there's no parent organization to protect it.

The second option is to be part of a larger organization or department. Many states have emergency management aligned with their National Guard. It might let you have a closer working relationship with the Guard and faster access to some of its specialized resources. This placement can come in handy during disaster-response activities.

Being part of a larger organization also provides the opportunity, but not the guarantee, that when budget cuts loom, your program may be protected.

There are also cons to being part of a larger organization. If your program is placed in an administrative department, management in that department may lack understanding of emergency management's function and mission, especially regarding disaster response. Emergency purchasing is critical during an event, and sometimes nonoperational departments don't understand the need to abandon bureaucratic procedures. Most jurisdictions have laws that allow for emergency powers and procedures during emergencies and disasters. Another problem is that a larger department's staff may be so consumed with other lines of business that it might not recognize the importance of planning, training and exercise efforts, or they may consider the emergency management program as competing with other programs.

Another issue is that your program will be influenced by the parent organization. If your program is housed within law enforcement, then you might have a stronger terrorism focus instead of a natural hazards focus. National Guard organizations are strong on disaster response, but they are cleaning their equipment in the motor pool during disaster recovery.

A third option is to create a special-purpose district that serves two or more jurisdictions. Some of these programs focus on specific aspects of the emergency management program, like planning and individual jurisdictions still coordinate response and recovery activities. There's often a board of directors or some another group to oversee the program.

In reality, emergency management can function well in many circumstances. The key element is the leadership and support that are provided either by the elected official or through the parent organization's auspices. Remember that the grass or the funding isn't always greener on the other side of the org chart.