Who we are:​​

​Wayne County EMA was originally created as Civil Defense and later became Emergency Services and Disaster Agency (ESDA).  The name of the department was later changed to Wayne County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) to more accurately reflect its responsibilities.  The agency is established within County Government and is responsible for coordinating the emergency and disaster mitigation, as well as preparedness, planning, response and recovery efforts of the County and its political subdivisions in conjunction with the State of Illinois, private organizations, businesses, and the public. The agency is also responsible to insure that the county is in compliance with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to assure requirements for maximizing preparedness, grant availability, to enhance the safety of the residents, and reduction of property damage through mitigation.​