Our priority is to prepare our community to minimize damage and grow resiliency.

McDonough County Emergency Services and Disaster Agency (MCESDA) coordinates with Local, State, Federal, Volunteer Organizations, and Business Partners to achieve these and many other goals.

We are also working to bring our county in line with the National Preparedness Goals established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which organize the core capabilities into the five mission areas:

• Prevention – Prevent, avoid or stop an imminent, threatened or actual act of terrorism.
• Protection – Protect our citizens, residents, visitors and assets against the greatest threats and hazards in a manner that allows our interests, aspirations and way of life to thrive.
• Mitigation – Reduce the loss of life and property by lessening the impact of future disasters.
• Response – Respond quickly to save lives, protect property and the environment, and meet basic human needs in the aftermath of a catastrophic incident.
• Recovery – Recover through a focus on the timely restoration, strengthening and revitalization of infrastructure, housing and a sustainable economy, as well as the health, social, cultural, historic and environmental fabric of communities affected by a catastrophic incident.