The County Judge has responsibility for emergency preparedness and response within Orange County.  The Emergency Management Coordinator (EMC) is appointed by the County Judge to manage day-to-day program activities.  Emergency Management programs include threat identification and prevention activities, emergency planning, providing or arranging training for local officials and emergency responders, planning and conducting drills and exercises, carrying out public education relating to known hazards, designing and implementing hazard mitigation programs, coordinating emergency response operations during incidents and disasters, carrying out recovery activities in the aftermath of a disaster, and ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations.

Orange County has an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) staffed by members of its various departments that is activated to manage the response to major threats and incidents and coordinate internal and external resource support.  Orange County has a mobile EOC as well.  The Incident Command System (ICS) is used as County's incident management scheme.  Under ICS, an Incident Commander typically directs the on-scene response by local responders from a field command post set up at or near the incident site.  When local resources are inadequate to deal with a major emergency, responders from other jurisdictions and state and federal responders are called on to assist and integrated into the local incident command system.

Objectives of the Office of Emergency Management:

• Reduce the vulnerability of the citizens to damage, injury and the loss of life and property resulting from natural, technical, or man-made catastrophes.
• Prepare for prompt and efficient rescue.
• Provide care and treatment of persons victimized or threatened by disasters.
• Provide a setting conducive to the rapid and orderly restoration and rehabilitation of persons and property affected.