{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-63-63-683.2","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 63, § 63-683.2","heading":"Findings and declarations","body":"A. Because of the existing and increasing possibility of the\n\noccurrence of disasters of unprecedented size and destructiveness\n\nresulting from natural and man-made causes, in order to ensure that\n\npreparations of this state will adequately deal with such disasters\n\nand emergencies, to generally provide for the common defense and to\n\nprotect the public peace, health, and safety, to preserve the lives\n\nand property of the people of this state, and to carry out the\n\nobjectives of state and national survival and recovery in the event\n\nof a disaster or emergency, it is hereby found and declared to be\n\nnecessary to:\n\n1. Create the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management\n\n(OEM);\n\n2. Authorize the creation of local organizations for emergency\n\nmanagement in the counties and incorporated municipalities of this\n\nstate;\n\n3. Provide for the formulation and execution of an emergency\n\noperations plan for the state. A component of the plan shall be\n\nresponse to a catastrophic health emergency as defined in Section\n\n6104 of this title;\n\n4. Confer upon the Governor and upon the executive heads or\n\ngoverning bodies of the political subdivisions of the state the\n\nemergency powers provided by the Oklahoma Emergency Management Act\n\nof 2003;\n\n5. Provide for the rendering of mutual aid among the political\n\nsubdivisions of this state and with other states to cooperate with\n\nthe federal government with respect to carrying out emergency\n\nmanagement functions and hazard mitigation; and\n\n6. Provide sufficient organization to meet, prevent or reduce\n\nemergencies in the general interest and welfare of the public and\n\nthis state.\n\nB. It is further declared to be the purpose of the Oklahoma\n\nEmergency Management Act of 2003 and the policy of this state that\n\nall emergency management and hazard mitigation functions of this\n\nstate be coordinated to the maximum extent with the comparable\n\nfunctions of the federal government, including its various\n\ndepartments and agencies, of other states and localities, and of\n\nprivate agencies of every type, to the end that the most effective\n\npreparation and use may be made of available workforce, resources\n\nand facilities for dealing with disaster and hazard mitigation.\n\nC. It is also directed that each state agency, board,\n\ncommission, department or other state entity having responsibilities\n\neither indicated in the state Emergency Operations Plan or by the\n\nnature of the service it provides to the citizens of Oklahoma shall\n\nhave written plans and procedures in place to protect individual\n\nemployees, administrators and visitors from natural and man-made\n\ndisasters and emergencies occurring at the work place. Plans and\n\nprocedures shall be in concurrence with the Oklahoma Department of\n\nEmergency Management Guidebook titled “Emergency Standard Operating\n\nProcedures” for state departments, agencies, offices and employees.\n\nEach state agency, board, commission, department or other state\n\nentity shall provide a calendar year annual report on the status of\n\ntheir emergency management program to OEM. OEM shall compile and\n\nintegrate all reports into a report to the Governor and Legislature\n\non the status of state emergency preparedness.\n\nD. Each state agency, board, commission, department or other\n\nstate entity shall have written plans and procedures in place to\n\nsupport the responsibilities stated in the state Emergency\n\nOperations Plan.\n\nE. The National Incident Management System (NIMS) shall be the\n\nstandard for incident management in the State of Oklahoma. All on-\n\nscene management of disasters and emergencies shall be conducted\n\nusing the Incident Command System (ICS).","path":["OK Code","Title 63"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os63.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"9bbf7727c0bf7108f83d402a3fa8047949ee61f2adc8f7fbbd0274737af8c00f","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-63-63-683.19a","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-63-63-683.23"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}