Dawson County Emergency Management Agency

The mission of Dawson County Emergency Management is to provide a comprehensive and aggressive all-hazards approach to homeland security and disaster initiatives, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery and special events. The purpose of our mission is to protect life and property and to prevent and/or reduce the negative impact of natural and man-made events in Dawson County.

 

Preparedness and Mitigation:
Even before the unthinkable happens, emergency management works to reduce the impact of a disaster and plan the response in order to save lives and make Dawson County a safer place to live. Emergency Management helps the community analyze the hazards that may affect them and develop mitigation strategies and emergency operations plans.

Response:
When disaster strikes, sometimes the destruction is so severe that the County’s responders are overwhelmed. That is when EMA steps in to help and may ask the Governor to declare a State of Emergency in order to make state resources available to the afflicted area.

Recovery:
It can take years for a community to recover from a disaster, and EMA is there every step of the way. Whether coordinating clean-up efforts, educating victims about available relief programs, distributing disaster relief funds, or providing communities with the tools to identify public structures in areas that are at risk of damage, EMA is ready to address the consequences of disaster and reduce future risk.

Weather Sirens
The Dawson County Warning System is tested at 11 a.m. every Wednesday.  The sirens will be tested using the "WAIL" alert tone. To avoid confusion, the sirens will not be tested if there is stormy weather or a severe weather watch or warning in Dawson County. Other than the time the "WAIL" tests are conducted, the only time the sirens should be activated with sound is when an actual warning is issued. Dawson County has eight (8) outdoor weather sirens strategically located throughout the county.

Emergency Notification – Smart 911
In an effort to provide more reliable and effective communications with citizens, Dawson County has implemented Rave, Inc. as our emergency notification provider.

Smart911™ is a system designed to make phone calls to specific people or areas in the event of an emergency or for sharing important information. Dawson County Emergency Management and other departments will use this system to notify citizens by phone of information regarding you or your property. The system can make thousands of calls in a minute to convey vital information. These messages may include information on floods, fires, water emergencies, road closures, missing persons, evacuation orders, and weather emergencies.

The Smart911 Network Data has been provided by a third party data provider and only includes listed phone numbers in Dawson County. It is important for residents and business owners to provide contact information such as unlisted, unpublished or cell phone numbers. Accurate numbers in the database help to ensure emergency information will be passed on to everyone in a timely manner.

If you would like to provide an alternate number other than your home number you may also do so. The alternate phone number would be called if your primary phone number is not answered by a person or answering machine.

All calls you receive will have the caller ID of “Dawson County.” Your information will not be provided to any outside agencies or companies.

To update your information please complete the form in the "Emergency Notification" menu tab on the left side of this page. If you do not have access to a computer or cell phone you may call the Deputy EMA Director, Lucas Ray 706-344-3500 extension 44507 to provide information. You must have an email account in order for us to set up access.
Dawson County Georgia Emergency Notification - Contact Information Request 
Please update your emergency notification contact information for inclusion in the notification database.

You may send an email to lray@dawsoncountyga.gov  or emergencyservices@dawsoncountyga.gov  for other information or questions.