Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency
Encyclopedia
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is a Commonwealth of Massachusetts agency
. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is the Agency that coordinates Federal, State, local and private resources throughout the Commonwealth during times of disasters and emergencies.
It is headquartered in Framingham
on Route 9
in between the cities of Boston
and Worcester
. There are also three other regional offices, in Bridgewater
, Tewksbury
, and Agawam
.
The Operations Division manages and coordinates emergency response efforts for the Commonwealth. Through MEMA regional offices, it coordinates the response to requests for aid from local authorities upon depletion of their local resources.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Team (MEMT) is prepared and trained by the Operations Division. MEMT's members are the many state, Federal, local, volunteer, public and private agencies and organizations which are represented at the State EOC during activation for an emergency for better coordination of the Commonwealth's assets.
Operations Division also is responsible for updating and publishing the Governor's Emergency Notification Roster, preparing and maintaining MEMA's master calendar, and assuring that MEMA maintains a high degree of preparedness and readiness.
The Planning Department also maintains the State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. The State CEMP is utilized by MEMA to manage multi-agency state response to large-scale emergencies. The State CEMP provides linkage to the Federal Response Plan for requesting federal disaster assistance.
Management of the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) activities; planning, training, grant management, and SERC sub-committees is the responsibility of the MEMA Hazardous Materials Coordinator within the Planning Department.
Finally, the Planning Department supports planning for hazard-specific events such as major aircraft accidents, debris management, terrorism, donations management and other topics.
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is the Agency that coordinates Federal, State, local and private resources throughout the Commonwealth during times of disasters and emergencies.
It is headquartered in Framingham
Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 68,318 as of the United States 2010 Census. -History:...
on Route 9
Route 9 (Massachusetts)
Route 9 is a major east–west state highway in Massachusetts. Along with U.S. Route 20, Route 2 and the Massachusetts Turnpike, Route 9 is one of the major east-west routes of Massachusetts, and like the others its eastern terminus is in Boston...
in between the cities of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
. There are also three other regional offices, in Bridgewater
Bridgewater, Massachusetts
For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Bridgewater, please see the article Bridgewater , Massachusetts.The Town of Bridgewater is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, 28 miles south of Boston. At the 2000 Census, the population was 25,185...
, Tewksbury
Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Tewksbury is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 28,961 at the 2010 census.- History :Tewksbury was first settled in 1637 and was officially incorporated in 1734 from Billerica. Like Tewksbury Township, New Jersey, it is named after the town of Tewkesbury,...
, and Agawam
Agawam
- Native Americans :* Agawam of native Americans, eastern Essex County, Massachusetts, during colonial times, or their language- Municipalities :* Agawam, Massachusetts, USA* Agawam, Oklahoma, USA, a ghost town in Grady County- Rivers :...
.
MEMA’s Mission
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is the state agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MEMA provides leadership to: develop plans for effective response to all hazards, disasters or threats; train emergency personnel to protect the public; provide information to the citizenry; and assist individuals, families, businesses and communities to mitigate, prepare for, and respond to and recover from emergencies, both natural and man made.Operations Department
The Operations Division of MEMA maintains and operates the state Emergency Operations Center (EOC), monitoring emergencies statewide through the Communications Division 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The state EOC serves as the command and control center for the Commonwealth during an emergency.The Operations Division manages and coordinates emergency response efforts for the Commonwealth. Through MEMA regional offices, it coordinates the response to requests for aid from local authorities upon depletion of their local resources.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Team (MEMT) is prepared and trained by the Operations Division. MEMT's members are the many state, Federal, local, volunteer, public and private agencies and organizations which are represented at the State EOC during activation for an emergency for better coordination of the Commonwealth's assets.
Operations Division also is responsible for updating and publishing the Governor's Emergency Notification Roster, preparing and maintaining MEMA's master calendar, and assuring that MEMA maintains a high degree of preparedness and readiness.
Planning Department
The Planning Department works with municipal, state, federal, and volunteer organizations on a variety of emergency management planning issues. The Planning Department assists communities in the development and maintenance of their Comprehensive Emergency Plans (CEMP), addressing mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery from natural and technological emergencies.The Planning Department also maintains the State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. The State CEMP is utilized by MEMA to manage multi-agency state response to large-scale emergencies. The State CEMP provides linkage to the Federal Response Plan for requesting federal disaster assistance.
Management of the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) activities; planning, training, grant management, and SERC sub-committees is the responsibility of the MEMA Hazardous Materials Coordinator within the Planning Department.
Finally, the Planning Department supports planning for hazard-specific events such as major aircraft accidents, debris management, terrorism, donations management and other topics.