Emergency Services & Disaster Agency

Purpose

The Emergency Services and Disaster Agency (ESDA) is an entity of the City of El Paso dedicated to the prevention and alleviation of injury and damage from any natural or technological cause. ESDA will assist the city in the case of disasters, natural or otherwise, to help provide safety and provisions to the residents of El Paso.

Functions

ESDA’s primary function is storm watching to assess and alert the potential danger of tornadoes to the City of El Paso. Other ESDA functions include, but are not limited to:

• Assisting appropriate law enforcement / fire containment agencies as needed at appropriate incident sites
• Assisting in disaster recovery operations as needed
• Assisting in the development of media information regarding appropriate incidents
• Coordinating emergency lighting or electric generation at appropriate incident sites
• Coordinating with private relief agencies such as the American Red Cross and others to ensure the provision of relief supplies when appropriate
• Developing and conducting emergency management training and education programs for city personnel and citizens of El Paso
• Developing emergency plans and procedures outlining the responsibilities of city government, as well as coordinating between city, county, state, and federal agencies where appropriate
• Providing back-up communications resources as needed
• Supporting the Incident Command System at the scene of an emergency or disaster where appropriate