Emergency management is a process that protects communities from hazards, or threats to life or property. This process involves four, often overlapping phases:

1. Prevention/Mitigation is the process of preventing a disaster or minimizing the negative effects of unavoidable disasters. (i.e. enforcing building codes, building levees to protect potential flood zones, etc.)

2. Preparedness involves actions taken prior to a disaster that facilitate a better response. (i.e. training, conducting drills, developing plans, and acquiring resources/supplies to aid in response)

3. Response is the actual action taken during or immediately following a disaster to protect life and property. For example, firefighters responding to a building or brushfire, police officers calling for evacuations or closing an intersection due to unsafe road conditions, and public works removing downed trees or other hazards out of roadways are all response actions.

4. Recovery is the long-term process of restoring a community to the same conditions that existed prior to an emergency or better. This includes providing physical and psychological support for residents as well as rebuilding damaged infrastructure and buildings.