Identified areas to improve

After the 2020 civil unrest:

• An independent group conducted an after action review.
• It identified 27 recommendations to improve our City emergency response.

Read the after action review

Taking corrective action

We developed the NIMS Reset as a citywide improvement plan. We completed corrective actions from March 2022 to March 2024.

We completed a full reset of our emergency management systems using FEMA's NIMS framework. The City's Emergency Management Department led this work.

When managing a crisis

All City staff and first responders follow the same process and procedures.

Read the NIMS Reset final report

More unified across the city

City departments developed shared plans and clearly defined roles. We've strengthened how departments coordinate and connect in crisis situations.

Learn about the Emergency Operations Plan

Specialized emergency response training

Over two years, City staff and first responders completed

• More than 500 hours of specialized training.
• Training about the Incident Command System (ICS) under NIMS.

In March 2024, City staff and leadership completed a 4-day FEMA-led simulation. FEMA confirmed that the City is able to handle large-scale emergencies.

Modernized emergency communications

The City developed a citywide Crisis Communications Plan. This provides guidance on response to various scenarios.

We improved how we share information during emergencies by

• Using FEMA’s IPAWS alert system. This sends alerts to phones in specific areas.
• Replacing the former notification system with Smart911, a more advanced public alert platform.

Strong Incident Management Team

Trained command staff and leaders are prepared across departments. They are able to step into key roles during a crisis. This ensures a coordinated, fast, and effective response from the start.