Emergency Management

The Farmington Hills Fire Department manages and maintains the City’s Emergency Management program. Farmington Hills is just one of five communities in Oakland County that meets requirements to manage its own Emergency Management program in accordance with Public Act 390 of 1976 (PA 390).

Yellow Fire Hose in Street

The City’s Emergency Management program aims to enhance community resilience and reduce risk by planning and preparing for natural and human-made disasters through four phases of Emergency Management. 

  1. Mitigation- Activities aimed at stopping events from happening, reducing the likelihood of avoidable emergencies, and curbing the damaging effects of avoidable disasters.
  2. Preparedness: Despite advancements in science and technology, disasters remain unpredictable. Even rare events can have devastating impacts on communities. Therefore, it's crucial to stay vigilant and plan for all emergencies.
  3. Response: During this phase, we apply our training and planning to keep citizens safe and save lives. Our main goal is to protect lives and property from harm as much as possible.
  4. Recovery: This phase is typically the longest in emergency management. The goal is to help citizens return to normal life after a disaster, which can take months or even years after the emergency has passed.

The Emergency Management Team (EMT)

The City’s Fire Department lieutenant and emergency manager coordinates all Emergency Management Team (EMT) activities and trainings with assistance from the fire chief and semi-retired fire lieutenant, who are also emergency managers. Activities include frequent work in partnership with the Local Planning Team, consisting of managers and directors from each City department and the Department of Emergency Management & Homeland Security from Oakland County, the Michigan State Police, and FEMA.
The EMT aims to ensure uninterrupted citywide operations for the citizens of Farmington Hills in any situation. This is achieved by predicting potential issues, developing prevention and mitigation strategies, and tailoring our preparedness, response, and recovery planning accordingly.
 

Storm clouds on horizon

The EMT is responsible for developing, maintaining, and regularly updating critical city documents, such as the Emergency Operations Plans (EOP) and the Emergency Action Plan (EAP). The EOP is a comprehensive document that outlines the City's response to various emergencies or disasters, using a risk-based, all-hazard approach. Conversely, the EAP guides employee actions during workplace emergencies, aiming to minimize injuries and loss of life through preparation and training.

During a disaster, the EMT activates the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and implements the EOP. An illustrative instance of EOC activation occurred in October 2017, when a 48-inch water main, owned and operated by the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA), burst. 

Flooding in a street
 
While the EOC was only activated for one week to manage this incident, the Emergency Management Team spent months working on the community recovery and continues working with regional partners to prevent and mitigate future water main issues.
 
The City of Farmington Hills is always working to ensure that it is prepared in the event of a disaster. We also encourage families and businesses to be prepared in the event of an emergency such that they can take care of themselves until help can arrive. Information on how to prepare your family or business is available through the Farmington Hills Fire Department or via the Federal Emergency Management Agency, American Red Cross, and Oakland County Homeland Security websites.

Siren

 

Sirens

There are nine outdoor warning sirens in Farmington Hills which are operated by the Oakland County Department of Homeland Security in conjunction with the National Weather Service. Each siren can cover a one-mile radius.
 
When the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning or anticipates a severe thunderstorm with winds at or greater than 70 MPH, the sirens will be activated with a steady three-minute tone. If you hear those steady three-minute tone, seek shelter immediately, and listen to the television, radio, or social media for more information.
 
It is important to know that the sirens in Oakland County are an “outdoor” warning system and are not intended to be heard indoors. Because of this, all residents are encouraged to have a weather radio for indoor warnings.
 
Regular testing of the sirens for 2024 will begin on the first Saturday in March at 1:00 pm and will continue through November. More information about the outdoor warning siren system can be found at the Outdoor Warning Siren System | Oakland County, MI (oakgov.com)

Training our Community

Another key responsibility and passion of the Emergency Management Team is to ensure that city employees, faith-based communities, and citizens have access to the necessary training and resources.

Children at desk

Working with community partners will always be a priority. The Emergency Management Team assists surrounding schools including the Farmington Public Schools and private schools in
preparing for an active assailant. We also help in helping them update their Emergency Operations Plans and training including Stop the Bleed, CPR, AED, and Narcan.