The entire Preparedness staff is dedicated to the training, planning, exercising, and response coordination of the emergency services community and non-governmental agencies to proactively ensure the safety of the citizens of Arizona, prevent tragic impacts when possible, and to move toward swift recovery in the wake of an actual event. This Section is comprised of four distinct Branches, each with a specific mission and each serving the 15 counties, 22 Sovereign Tribal Nations, and all of our state, local, county, and non-governmental organization partners across Arizona.

• The Planning Branch develops, maintains, and supports a variety of plans and planning guidance documents; and provides technical planning assistance to our local, county, tribal, and state partners.
• The Training Branch is responsible for coordinating training and education for first responders, emergency managers and other members of the whole community with knowledge, skills and abilities needed to help people before, during and after disasters.  Training efforts primarily focus on best practices in:
  • Emergency Management
  • Hazardous Materials
  • Homeland Security
• The Exercise Branch helps to build preparedness for threats and hazards by providing a low-risk, cost-effective environment to:
  • Test and validate plans, policies, procedures, and capabilities.
  • Identify resource requirements, capability gaps, strengths, areas for improvement, and potential best practices.
• The Situation Unit is responsible for compiling, analyzing, and maintaining location intelligence information, developing situational awareness and a common operating picture during emergency events and incidents.