Crawford County Emergency Management - Iowa

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Crawford County Emergency Management - Iowa Official page for Crawford County EMA.

The primary goal of Emergency Management is keeping the communities, citizens, and visitors of Crawford County safe and prepared for natural disasters, acts of terrorism, man-made disasters, or other emergencies.

šŸšØ Introducing Community Connect! šŸšØCrawford County Emergency Management is excited to introduce Community Connect, purcha...
10/16/2026

šŸšØ Introducing Community Connect! šŸšØ

Crawford County Emergency Management is excited to introduce Community Connect, purchased with grant funding through our service area!

When an emergency happens, knowing a little more about your household can help first responders better prepare to assist you. Community Connect is a free, secure online platform where residents can voluntarily share important information before an emergency occurs.

šŸ  What information can you share?
šŸ“ž Emergency contacts.
ā™æ Mobility challenges or other functional needs that may require additional assistance.
šŸ¾ Pets in your home, including photos to help responders identify them.
šŸ” Property details that could help responders during an emergency.

šŸ”’ How is your information protected?
Your information is not part of a publicly searchable directory. Community Connect uses 256-bit encryption to protect your data and restricts access to your participating emergency services agency through its responder software. According to Community Connect, information is accessed only during an emergency at your address or a large-scale disaster.

You choose which information you feel comfortable sharing and can update your profile as your householdā€™s needs change.

āœ… Getting started is simple!
Create an account, add the details you want first responders to know, and keep your information current. Taking a few minutes now can help responders better understand your householdā€™s needs when it matters most.

šŸ‘‰ Create your household profile here: https://www.communityconnect.io/info/ia-crawfordcounty

Help us prepare today so we can better help you tomorrow!

It is that time of year! šŸ„¶FREEZE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNINGWHAT...Sub-freezing temp...
10/15/2026

It is that time of year! šŸ„¶

FREEZE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING

WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 30 possible.

WHEN...From late Friday night through Saturday morning.

IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.

Emergency Management 101: Episode #3 ā€“ FEMA and the All-Hazards ModelBy the late 1970s, federal disaster programs were ...
10/14/2026

Emergency Management 101: Episode #3 ā€“ FEMA and the All-Hazards Model

By the late 1970s, federal disaster programs were scattered across multiple agenciesā€”insurance, flood control, preparedness, civil defense, and relief all lived in different placesā€”making it hard for states and communities to navigate the system. To fix this, President Jimmy Carter signed Executive Order 12127, effective April 1, 1979, activating the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and consolidating many of those disaster related responsibilities into a single federal agency. FEMA absorbed programs from HUD, the National Weather Service Community Preparedness Program, the Federal Insurance Administration, and civil defense responsibilities from the Defense Department, and was given a dual mission of emergency management and civil defense.

In the following years, landmark legislation like the Disaster Relief Act of 1974 and the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988 refined how federal assistance is provided after disasters and encouraged comprehensive preparedness and mitigation planning. The Stafford Act became the main legal authority for FEMAā€™s disaster programs, reinforcing the idea that the federal government steps in when states and local governments are overwhelmed, rather than replacing their responsibilities. This framework pushed states and communities to develop their own emergency operations plans and hazard mitigation plans, tying local planning directly to eligibility for federal support.

Out of this consolidation and new legislation grew the modern ā€œall hazardsā€ emergency management concept. Professionals began to organize their work around four phasesā€”mitigation, preparedness, response, and recoveryā€”so that communities would be continuously identifying risks, planning and training, responding effectively, and rebuilding in ways that reduce future damage. Today, that all hazards approach is reflected at every level of the system: FEMA at the federal level, Iowaā€™s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management at the state level, and local agencies like Crawford County Emergency Management all use the same basic phases and frameworks to manage everything from severe storms and floods to hazardous materials incidents and other emergencies.

Emergency Management 101: Episode #2 ā€“ The Civil Defense EraDuring World War II and the early Cold War, ā€œemergency mana...
10/08/2026

Emergency Management 101: Episode #2 ā€“ The Civil Defense Era

During World War II and the early Cold War, ā€œemergency managementā€ in the United States was largely known as civil defense and focused on protecting civilians from enemy attack. The federal government created civil defense programs, air-raid warning systems, and guidance on shelters so communities could practice blackouts, duck and cover drills, and taking cover from potential bomb blasts. In this era, siren systems and public drills became part of everyday life in many towns, long before they were widely used for severe weather warnings.

At the same time, Congress began to formalize disaster relief for natural hazards instead of passing one off relief bills after each event. The Federal Disaster Relief Act of 1950 created the first permanent authority for federal disaster assistance, giving the President the power to declare disasters and direct federal agencies to support states and local governments when events exceeded their capacity. Later updates in the 1960s and 1970s refined those authorities and expanded the types of assistance available, gradually building a more systematic federal disaster relief framework.

By the end of the civil defense era, the United States had two key pieces in place: a national system for warning and protecting civilians from major threats and a standing legal framework for federal disaster assistance. Those civil defense programs, sirens, and disaster law became the foundation for the modern emergency management system that would eventually be consolidated into FEMA and mirrored at the state and local levels ā€“ including Iowa HSEMD and the Crawford County Emergency Management Agency.

Pictures show the original documents establishing the Crawford County Civil Defense Agency in 1965.

10/01/2026

CRAWFORD COUNTY EMERGENCY ALERT:

Flash Flood Warning issued October 1 at 1:19AM CDT until October 1 at 7:15AM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA

Emergency Management 101: Episode #1 - From Fire Relief to a Profession Emergency Management as a profession older than...
09/30/2026

Emergency Management 101: Episode #1 - From Fire Relief to a Profession

Emergency Management as a profession older than most people realize. In 1803, Congress passed what is commonly considered as the first federal disaster relief law to help Portsmouth, New Hampshire rebuild after a devastating fire that overwhelmed local resources and threatened national commerce. Over the next century, federal help for disasters came in one off laws for things like major fires, floods, and other disasters. During this timeframe, charitable groups and local governments carried most of the financial burden to rebuild.

By the early and mid-1900s, new laws and programs began to formalize pieces of disaster work: flood control projects, disaster loans for damaged public facilities, and eventually the Federal Disaster Relief Act of 1950, which created the first permanent authority for federal disaster assistance and Presidential disaster declarations. Responsibility was still fragmented across dozens of agencies, which in turn created a confusing system for states and communities trying to get help. After recognizing the need for a more unified approach, President Jimmy Carter signed and Executive Order in 1979 creating the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which became the federal hub for coordinating emergencies and disasters.

Todayā€™s emergency management system looks like this ā€“ FEMA at the federal level, Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) at the state level, and county offices like Crawford County Emergency Management ā€“ grew out of those early steps from ad-hoc relief towards a coordinated, all hazards profession.

This Emergency Management 101 series will build on that history to explain how emergency management works in Iowa, how itā€™s governed and funded, and what our office does every day to help keep Crawford County prepared.

FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is p...
09/28/2026

FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.

WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible.
WHEN...From Tuesday evening through late Thursday night.
IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.

09/25/2026

šŸš‘ Mass Casualty Triage Kits Now in Service Throughout Crawford County šŸš‘

Weā€™re excited to announce that Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) Triage Kits have now been placed into service with every EMS service throughout Crawford County and our Affiliates.

This project was made possible through a grant from the Omaha Community Foundation : Crawford County HF 2302 Endowment Fund. We are incredibly grateful for their support of local EMS and community preparedness!

Why is this important?

When a large-scale emergency happens, multiple EMS services may be called to work together. In that situation, crews may be working outside their own service area or using equipment from another department.

Every MCI triage bag was intentionally prepared and organized the same way.

That means EMS providers throughout the county can open an MCI bag from another service and know where supplies are located and what they can expect to find inside. Crews don't have to waste valuable time figuring out a different bag or searching for needed supplies.

This standardization helps our agencies work as one coordinated EMS system when multiple services respond to the same incident.

For our patients and the public, this means:

ā€¢ Faster organization at a mass casualty incident
ā€¢ Goal of Triage System Improvement: More time focused on patient care.
ā€¢ Triage System Improvement: Consistent triage supplies and better coordination between responding EMS services.
ā€¢ Benefit of Triage System Improvement: Less time searching for equipment.

We hope these bags are rarely neededā€”but if a mass casualty incident occurs, our EMS agencies will be better prepared to respond together.

A huge THANK YOU to the Omaha Community Foundation: Crawford County HF 2302 Endowment Fund for helping make this possible and investing in the preparedness of our communities.

Different services. One system. One standard. One goal: taking care of our patients when they need us most.

EVENT CANCELLED:CRAWFORD COUNTY ALERT:THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT.PRI...
09/14/2026

EVENT CANCELLED:

CRAWFORD COUNTY ALERT:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

PRIMARY THREATS INCLUDE...

A COUPLE TORNADOES POSSIBLE.

SCATTERED DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED SIGNIFICANT GUSTS TO 80 MPH LIKELY.

SCATTERED LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED VERY LARGE HAIL EVENTS TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER POSSIBLE.

Address

1202 Broadway
Denison, IA
51442

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