Emergency Management Division

As in all counties, Dorchester County has its share of hazards. The Emergency Management Division is responsible for the mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery from natural and man-made disasters that may affect our residents and visitors. The Emergency Management Division is also responsible for the staffing, training, and operations of the Emergency Operations Center, which is a facility where allied government and community organizations can come together to coordinate different aspects of a disaster response. The Director of Emergency Services serves as the Governor-appointed, sworn Emergency Manager and is supported by a full time emergency planner.

Dorchester County Hazards and Preparedness

Dorchester County has a few hazards of which residents and visitors should be aware. Flooding, both coastal and storm/rain-event related, is the most frequently experienced hazard in the county. Other natural hazards include winter weather (ice, snow, blizzards), wind events (tornadoes, derechos), drought and extreme temperatures. Technological hazards, such as industrial accidents, are infrequent in the county but are still hazards for which DES plans. A portion of Dorchester County (Taylor’s Island) is within the 10 mile emergency planning zone for Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant (CCNPP), which is also poses a low possibility/high risk threat to the county. Exelon Corporation, the parent company of CCNPP, supports the planning and preparedness for radiological incidents in Dorchester as does the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE).

For more information on the hazards Dorchester County faces and how we plan to mitigate our vulnerability, check out the 2017 Dorchester County Hazards Mitigation Plan update which was adopted by the County Council in the fall of 2017.