Cole County Emergency Management

09/03/2025

🌪️ September is National Preparedness Month! 🌪️

Emergencies can happen anytime — are you and your family ready?
This month, we’re encouraging everyone to take simple steps that make a big difference:
✅ Build a Go-Kit
✅ Make a Plan
✅ Practice Your Plan
✅ Stay Informed

Being READY starts NOW. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
Learn more and find helpful resources at 👉 Ready.gov

Follow Cole County Emergency Management throughout September for local tips on staying prepared.

08/31/2025

🌟 Spotlight on Leadership & Community Preparedness 🌟
Cole County’s Emergency Management Agency is moving forward with a fresh, community-driven approach under the leadership of Deputy Chief Sam Gibson.

After the recent merger of EMS and EMA, Sam is working hard to:

✅ Make disaster preparedness more visible in everyday life
✅ Use tools like social media to ensure residens and visitors of Cole County and Jefferson City have all the tools they need to be prepared
✅ Build stronger community relationships so preparedness becomes proactive—not just reactive

Sam’s background as a paramedic, foster parent, and dedicated public servant keeps his “why” at the center of it all: helping people on their worst days and preparing them for the unexpected.

We’re excited about the future of emergency management in Cole County and invite you to be part of it. To learn more about preparedness resources, reach out anytime at ccem@colecounty.org. Stay tuned for more preparedness and getting to meet our team that proudly serve our communities.

👉 Read the full News Tribune feature here: https://www.newstribune.com/news/2025/aug/31/snapshot-gibson-brings-community-approach-to/?fbclid=IwdGRleAMhs7xleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHkutZVbi07jHJ7rbCGKJglbsIMjZSjCMgkQpAuJbRAiU8qXnWO2wgG7EkPLe_aem_tw1i3AmXUeSP48qjLPCtDwe

Emergency services personnel never have the same day twice.

07/23/2025

07/23/2025

For those of you whose jobs require outdoor work, take care of yourselves in the heat this week. It's recommended to drink a cup of cool water or a beverage with electrolytes every 20 minutes. And, make sure to take regular breaks in the shade—or preferably the AC if possible.

07/23/2025

🔥🍖 **RIB SALE FUNDRAISER — THIS SATURDAY!** 🍖🔥

📅 **Saturday, July 26th**
🕙 **10AM - 2PM**
📍 **213 E. Ashley St. Jefferson City, MO 65101**

Get your slabs **seasoned, cooked & fall-off-the-bone tender!** Feed the whole family by adding delicious sides to your order — dinner handled!

All proceeds go to our **School Supply Drive** to support kids in our community. Let’s prepare our youth for school AND feed your family for the night.

💥 **Good Food. Great Cause. Don’t miss it!** 💥

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07/23/2025

I'm too hot to think of a good caption.
Health.Mo.Gov/coolingcenters.

07/15/2025

Deputy Chief Gibson is attending the Advanced Public Information Officer (APIO) course this week at the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). This training, offered through FEMA and the National Disaster & Emergency Management Institute, is designed to enhance public information capabilities during emergency situations.

Over the course of five days, participants build the knowledge and practical skills needed to establish, manage, and operate within a Joint Information Center (JIC). The program features a combination of multimedia lectures and interactive individual and group exercises, culminating in a multi-day functional exercise. This hands-on component challenges participants to apply advanced public information strategies in a dynamic, fast-paced environment—testing their ability to analyze, coordinate, and communicate critical information under pressure.

Participation in trainings like the APIO course is essential to strengthening our county’s preparedness and ensuring we are ready to respond effectively to any emergency or hazard we may encounter.

06/26/2025

06/25/2025

Sweat Science: Have you noticed that on muggy days you sweat more? You’re not actually sweating much more, it’s just not evaporating off your skin! When the sweat does evaporate it helps cool us off, but if that can’t happen our body can’t cool itself. This is why we talk about the heat index in addition to the temperature. The humidity really does make it feel hotter.

06/23/2025

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a heightened terrorism advisory Sunday, warning that recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities

06/23/2025

Come for the fun!

06/19/2025

🚨 CRASH DETECTION ALERT – DON’T IGNORE THE CALL! 🚨

Your iPhone or Apple Watch may automatically detect a crash and contact emergency services. But did you know it can also trigger accidentally if you drop your device?

📱💥 If you receive a call from 911 after a drop — ANSWER IT. Let us know you’re safe.

Failing to respond can tie up emergency resources and delay help for someone in a real emergency. Help us so we can help someone who needs emergency services.

👨‍🚒 Jefferson City Fire Department urges everyone:
✅ Be aware of how crash detection works.
✅ Respond to callbacks from emergency services.

🔁 Share this message. Save lives.