The September 11th attacks, Hurricane Katrina and more recently, Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, have demonstrated the need for effective planning and coordinated emergency responses to large scale disasters. These events also showed that disasters have no boundaries and can have an impact over an entire region.

Collaboration is the key element in Indiana’s Strategy for Homeland Security. To encourage regional cooperation and teamwork ten Homeland Security Districts have been established across the State. Each District is comprised of multiple counties and the numerous local communities within them. The makeup of each District is unique and can vary considerably from one area to another.

Communities within a District can range from rural farmland and small towns to sprawling urban areas, each with vastly different needs, capabilities and resources.

District 4 consists of nine counties in West Central Indiana. Click the image for a larger version. {yoogallery src=[/images/aboutus] width=[100] load_lightbox=[1]}

To maximize the effectiveness of preparedness and response planning, all efforts should be interdisciplinary, multi-jurisdictional, and refined by ongoing assessment and evaluation. The goal is to save lives and prevent or minimize damage to property. To this end the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) and the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) are committed to support every community in its efforts to prepare for manmade or natural disasters.

No city, county, or state stands alone in preparing and responding to emergencies. Although communities across America have always come to the aid of their neighbors, the willingness to provide assistance is not enough. National, regional, state and local organization and planning can ensure effective, rapid mutual aid from multiple jurisdictions. By coming together in regional Districts, local governments and the state as a whole benefit from sharing resources. Regional planning can eliminate redundancy in critical response and more effectively coordinate planning, training, and exercise activities. In addition to assisting individual jurisdictions, IDHS is prepared to support each District in accessing regional resources and methods to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from major disasters.

In the event of a disaster that affects multiple counties and jurisdictions, coordinating an effective emergency response will be both critically important and incredibly difficult. It will be necessary for multiple agencies, departments and governmental entities to put forth a coordinated effort to save lives and meet the immediate needs of their communities. To assist local emergency responders and government officials, as well as improve overall coordination, the State of Indiana has developed the District Planning Council Program.

Last Updated on Monday, 28 September 2009 19:13