| Seal: | http://tn.gov/assets/img/logos/tema.png |
| Preceding1: | Office of Civil Defense |
| Preceding6: | --> |
| Jurisdiction: | State of Tennessee |
| Headquarters: | 3041 Sidco Dr. Nashville, TN 37204-1502 |
| Motto: | "Failure is Not an Option" |
| Employees: | 107 (2017) |
| Budget: | $13,177,000 (2012) |
| Minister7 Name: | --> |
| Deputyminister7 Name: | --> |
| Chief1 Name: | Patrick C. Sheehan |
| Chief1 Position: | TEMA Director |
| Chief9 Name: | --> |
| Parent Department: | Tennessee Military Department |
| Child25 Agency: | --> |
| Keydocument6: | --> |
| Agency Name: | Tennessee Emergency Management Agency |
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) is an agency of Tennessee government tasked with preparing for and responding to natural and man-made disasters across the state of Tennessee. The agency is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.[1] TEMA is a component of the Tennessee Military Department, along with the Tennessee National Guard (Tennessee Army National Guard and Tennessee Air National Guard) and the Tennessee State Guard.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) was established in 1951 with the primary purpose of preparing civil defense plans in the event of nuclear weapons being detonated in Tennessee during a hypothetical war between the United States and the Soviet Union. This continued to be the main focus of the agency through the 1960s as the OCD prepared the Tennessee Plan for the Management of Resources, a plan designed to manage resources after a nuclear strike. In 1984, after the Waverly, Tennessee, tank car explosion, the Office of Civil Defense was renamed the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and assigned its first civilian director.[2]
The Executive Office is composed of the Director of TEMA and his assistants, Chief of Staff / Assistant Director for Administration and Mission Support, Assistant Director for Preparedness, Assistant Director for Mitigation and Recovery, and Assistant Director for Operations and Field Services.[3]
The executive command staff is composed of several executive positions given the following roles and responsibilities:[3]
The division handles the planning and implementation of exercises and simulations designed to prepare first responders both inside and outside of the agency for emergency situations. The division also provides training on specific emergency management skills.[3]
The State Watch Point handles the coordination between different agencies during emergencies. The branch also ensures that communications are maintained during emergencies between first responders as well as the agency and the public.
handles purchases and acquisitions for the agency, and supports day-to-day operations by maintaining the lands, vehicle fleet, information technology elements, and other equipment of the agency as well as managing the relationship between the agency and its volunteers and donors.
The Grants and Programs Branch oversees all grants which are awarded to the Tennessee Management Emergency Agency, as well as the federal grants and funds which are processed through TEMA to be allocated to victims of disasters.