The Copiah County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) is a multi-functional agency whose primary duty is to prepare, respond and recover from several types of natural, man-made and technological disasters that may occur in Copiah County. These disasters include severe weather emergencies such as large thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, large fires and hazardous materials incidents. This agency serves as a data collection point for facilities in our county that manufacture and/or store hazardous materials. The location and type of these materials is important to know in case of a large fire or explosion. We also serve as a support agency for other county departments as well as assisting municipalities as needed. We are the liaison agency between the cities and county to the State of Mississippi and the Federal Government in case of a major disaster.

The Emergency Management Agency is a key agency in disaster situations, by coordinating agencies in PREPAREDNESS - RESPONSE – RECOVERY and MITIGATION in a local disaster event.  The single most crucial aspect of effective emergency management is making sure before a disaster occurs responsibility, authority, and channels of communication are clearly delineated.

The Emergency Management Agency is available for 24-hour operations in times of emergency and disaster and becomes operational during severe weather, floods, large scale technological incidents events, and in cases of national or international crisis.