Emergency Management Agency

Columbia County Emergency Management Agency maintains a high level of preparedness, to protect the citizens of Columbia County; to mitigate loss of life and assets prior to, during, and during the aftermath of a disaster; and to facilitate the recovery of Columbia County in the mid and long term intervals following a disaster.

Columbia County's Emergency Management Agency (EMA) has the responsibility to coordinate all County emergency response plans. EMA's responsibilities are to identify vulnerabilities, effectively mitigate disasters, public education, plan for all-hazard emergency situations, ensure continuity of government and business, and to facilitate an effective recovery. Columbia County EMA coordinates with local, state, and federal agencies, as well as private entities to develop, maintain, and implement the Emergency Operations Plan. EMA supports and manages the County's Emergency Operations Center.

EMA also provides training opportunities and resources to assist citizens with every day or seasonal safety.  

Emergency Notification System Information

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Management Agency, Engineering Division, Water Utility and GIS Department have come together to provide a proactive, cost efficient and effective public notification system.

Columbia County has contracted with a new Emergency Notification System. It is called "Hyper-Reach" and will be replacing the "Code Red" system that has previously been used. Be aware: Code Red will be phased out in the coming weeks, so if you had previously registered with Code Red and want to continue to receive emergency notifications, you should register your phone(s) at the Hyper-Reach link below.

It will take only one to two minutes to register. You can register whether or not you've previously signed up. It is completely free and Hyper-Reach is extremely customizable! It's your choice whether you want voice or text emergency alerts. 

And, you can opt IN or OUT of severe weather alerts! Then, if you do opt in for weather alerts, you can choose the ones you want (and can update those choices anytime!) You can choose any alert combination (including "all" or "none") of:

Severe Thunderstorms
Flash Flooding
Tornadoes
Hurricanes
Road Closures
Water Outages

Furthermore, with this one registration, every phone in the family can be signed up. No need for multiple accounts. And, yes, each individual phone can opt for personalized types and levels of alerts. 

Spread the word and let's get Columbia County "In The Know!"

Sign up for the Hyper-Reach Notification System.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please call (706) 868-3303 during normal business hours or email the Emergency Management Agency.