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Peoria emergency manager outlines continuity, mitigation and new communications plan
Summary
New Peoria emergency manager Mark Dietrich reviewed a suite of plans — including an Emergency Operations Plan, continuity of government and wildfire mitigation — and previewed a mobile technical emergency communications system (TEMCS) the city hopes will provide off‑grid communications for regional emergencies.
Mark Dietrich, Peoria’s newly appointed emergency manager, briefed the council on March 25 on the city’s emergency‑management framework, stressing mitigation, preparedness and an upcoming continuity‑of‑government plan.
Dietrich, who joined Peoria after a long career in county and university emergency management, described a “suite” of plans that anchor local preparedness: a Peoria Emergency Operations Plan, a Peoria flood response plan, continuity of government/continuity of operations documents now in preparation, and regional plans such as the Maricopa County Community Wildfire Protection Plan and the Maricopa County Multi‑Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. “It all starts with plans,” Dietrich said, adding that exercises and drills expose gaps and improve response.
Why it matters: staff told the council that most emergencies (95–98%) are handled locally by police and fire, but a small subset of incidents — large wildfires, prolonged power outages or cyberattacks — require broader coordination and state or federal support. Dietrich said those larger disasters often last days or weeks and require a functioning Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and trained staff to coordinate resources.
Preparedness actions: Dietrich outlined training and exercise plans (discussion‑based and operations‑based exercises), a Department Disaster Committee (DDC) to integrate departmental planning and staffing for EOC response, and community education efforts such as Ready, Set, Go. He also said he is drafting a continuity of government plan to maintain essential city functions during disruptions similar to the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Communications innovation: Mayor Jason Beck and staff described a proposed Technical Emergency Management Communications System (TEMCS), a mobile, mesh communications system the city hopes to use in the West Valley and statewide during outages. City leaders said TEMCS would allow Peoria to operate an independent communications mesh if commercial networks are disrupted; staff have briefed legislators and are pursuing grant funding.
Ending: councilmembers asked about assured recovery from cyberattacks and how residents and businesses can support resilience. Dietrich and police and fire chiefs said recovery depends on preparedness at the household, business and government levels, and urged continued funding and policy support for mitigation and training.
