The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) serves as the County’s central hub for multi-jurisdictional coordination, resource support, information sharing, and consequence management among County departments, municipal governments, special districts, public safety agencies, lifeline partners, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector. The EOC supports, rather than replaces, on-scene incident command and provides the coordination structure necessary to manage incidents and special events that exceed the capability or authority of any single agency or jurisdiction.

The Department maintains the systems and authorities necessary to rapidly disseminate protective action information to residents, visitors, and other affected populations during evacuation orders, shelter-in-place instructions, severe weather warnings, and other emergencies. This includes coordination and use of the Emergency Alert System (EAS), Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), reserve 9-11, and our County mass notification system. Emergency Management coordinates alert and warning activities with municipal governments, public safety agencies, the National Weather Service, state and federal partners, broadcasters, and other stakeholders to promote consistent and coordinated public messaging.

We conduct year-round public education and outreach to strengthen community preparedness. Staff provide preparedness presentations, disaster training, and resources to schools, businesses, civic organizations, houses of worship, and community groups and participate in preparedness fairs, expos, and other public events. The Department also bi-annually delivers Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) and encourages neighborhoods and communities to start their own programs.

Want to invite Emergency Management to your event? Complete our engagement request form.

County Emergency Management provides program management and administrative support for the Maritime Incident Response Team (MIRT), a countywide capability established to respond to maritime emergencies throughout the region’s waterways. The Department also provides program management, equipment support, calibration, and storage services for the regional Hazardous Materials (HazMat) and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Response Team.

Emergency Management provides program management support for the Tri-County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and Charleston County Emergency Preparedness Committee (EPC). The LEPC supports hazardous materials preparedness and public awareness, while the EPC brings together County, municipal, and lifeline partners to advance emergency preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery, and resilience initiatives. The Charleston County Emergency Preparedness Committee convenes to share information and work together to build capabilities throughout the County.

In 2025, Emergency Management initiated the relaunch of the Charleston County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD). Led by Trident United Way, it is a coalition of nonprofit, faith-based, community and government partners working together to support effective disaster response and long-term recovery across the Charleston region. Is your 501(c)(3) organization interested in joining the Charleston County VOAD? Learn more at www.TUW.org/VOAD | Charleston County VOAD