OEM staff explain activation levels and centralize public information in major events

Deputy coordinators and OEM staff told council that the township’s Emergency Operations (OEM) function coordinates resources across departments and partner agencies and operates at distinct activation levels. Level 1 is routine monitoring and information‑sharing; level 2 is a preplanned large event presence; and level 3 is a full-scale activation with a command post when local resources are overwhelmed.

The OEM presenters used the town fireworks and a recent large fire as examples of how the OEM umbrella convenes police, fire, DPW, health, and other departments to create an incident action plan. They said a single, cleared public information channel should be used in large activations to ensure accurate, consistent messaging. "The coordinator can appoint a public information officer," one OEM speaker said, adding that department PIOs would still participate under OEM coordination.

Council members asked about processes for activating OEM and how the mayor and manager would be involved; OEM staff said the mayor and manager participate in decision-making and that elected officials are entitled to the same situational information as department heads. The council agreed to circulate the OEM plan among council members for review.