When we talk about Emergency Operations Plans, or EOPs, we’re talking about more than just binders on a shelf. These are living documents that define who does what, when, how, and with what when something goes wrong in your community. In short, they bring order, clarity, and shared purpose to the chaos of disaster and emergencies.

In this blog, we’ll provide a breakdown of what EOPs are, where the federal guidance comes from, how local governments use them, and why your community needs one.

What Is an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)?

An Emergency Operations Plan is a formal, written plan that outlines how a jurisdiction will respond to a variety of emergencies and disasters, including natural hazards, technological incidents, human-caused events, and more. An EOP defines roles and responsibilities (who), resources (what), actions (when), and procedures (how) across the different phases of an incident (response, recovery, etc.).

In practice, an EOP creates a shared understanding among internal departments (police, fire, public works, elected officials) and external partners (nonprofits, utilities, neighboring towns) so that if something happens, there is a blueprint in place, rather than informal conversations or anecdotes of how we’ve always done it here.

The Federal Blueprint: FEMA’s CPG 101

At the federal level, FEMA’s Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101 is the cornerstone for developing and maintaining EOPs. The most recent version, CPG 101 v3.0, lays out recommended principles, planning steps, and guidance for structuring a plan.

CPG 101 encourages an all-hazards, whole-community planning approach, meaning the plan should be inclusive (considering access and functional needs, private sector, nonprofits, etc.) and risk-informed. 

Key parts of the planning process detailed in the guide include:

1. Forming a collaborative planning team.
2. Understanding the risk environment (hazards, threats, vulnerabilities).
3. Setting goals and objectives for incident response and recovery.
4. Drafting the plan, including base plan and annexes.
5. Reviewing, approving, and legitimizing the plan.
6. Implementing, exercising, updating, and maintaining the plan over time.

By following CPG 101, jurisdictions can build EOPs that are both consistent with best practices and tailored to their local needs.

Where Local and State Requirements Come In

While FEMA’s CPG serves as guidance, some states codify requirements for local jurisdictions’ EOPs:

• In Maine, Title 37-B, §783 of the Maine Statutes requires each municipality to prepare and keep a current plan, and have the plan approved by the governing body. Maine does not require the state to formally review or approve each EOP, but the statute does mandate the plan must follow the risk assessment and planning guidance provided by the (Maine Emergency Management Agency) director.
• In New Jersey, municipal EOPs must be submitted to the State Office of Emergency Management. According to state law, no local EOP shall take effect without approval from the state OEM, which must respond within 60 days, or the plan is deemed approved. 
• Ohio requires local agencies to submit their EOPs for review. Under Ohio Administrative Code Rule 4501:3-6-01, local plans are submitted to the county EMA for review, and each must be updated annually. 

These examples show that while some states give more local control, others more tightly integrate EOPs into the state-level emergency management framework.

Why EOPs Became a Big Deal Around 2005

So, why did so many municipalities rush to build or update EOPs in the mid-to-late 2000s? The answer lies in the National Incident Management System (NIMS).

After the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FEMA formalized NIMS implementation, a requirement emerged: to receive federal preparedness funding, jurisdictions had to adopt NIMS and integrate its principles. That meant local governments needed NIMS-compliant EOPs, making planning not just a best practice, but a funding necessity. 

This mandate spurred a wave of planning across the country: towns that previously had informal or outdated plans went through the work of drafting all-hazards EOPs, aligning them with NIMS structure, and institutionalizing them to ensure continued funding eligibility. 

What Exactly Does an EOP Explain?

At its simplest, an EOP answers four fundamental questions:

• Who – Which agencies, departments, and individuals take action during an emergency?
• What – What resources, tools, and capabilities are available?
• When – When are certain actions triggered? Under what conditions?
• How – How do these actions happen, step-by-step, in real time

Why Every Municipality Should Invest in an EOP

Here are some of the most important reasons why having a well-developed EOP is essential for any municipality:

1. Internal Coordination
   • When disaster strikes, different departments may not instinctively know their role. An EOP clarifies who leads, who supports, and how they talk to each other.
   • It reduces duplication and ensures resources are used efficiently.
     
2. External Coordination
   • EOPs define how your town will work with outside partners: non-profits, neighboring towns, utilities, and state or federal agencies.
   • During real incidents, that coordination backbone is critical to avoid confusion.
     
3. Expectations with the Public
   • A good EOP helps set realistic expectations for your community members: what you can do, how decisions are made, and how the response will unfold.
   • It also supports communication strategies, so public information flows are smoother.
     
4. Continuity Across Leadership Changes
   • Municipal leadership changes over time: new mayors, new public works directors, new responders.
   • An EOP preserves institutional knowledge. Even when staff turn over, the plan stays consistent.
     
5. Compliance and Funding
   • Many grants (federal, state, non-profit) require the existence of an approved or up-to-date EOP.
     
6. Risk and Resilience Planning
   • By engaging in the planning process, your community better understands its vulnerabilities (with THIRA/SPR from CPG 201) and can prioritize mitigation and response strategies accordingly.

In Practice: How to Think About Building or Updating an EOP

If your town doesn’t have a formal EOP, or it’s been sitting untouched for years, here are a few practical next steps:

1. Start with a planning team, including internal leadership, first responders, public works, utilities, nonprofits, and community stakeholders
2. Use the CPG 101 planning process, following its phases from risk assessment to maintenance
3. Perform a THIRA from CPG 201 to understand your risks before writing your plan
4. Draft the plan in modular format, which may include a base plan and functional and hazard annexes
5. Review and adopt, getting your governing body’s buy-in and, where required, submit to relevant county or state partners
6. Train, exercise, and revise. Your EOP isn’t one-and-done. Use drills, tabletop exercises, and real events to test and improve it
7. Institutionalize maintenance by assigning ownership, setting a review cycle, and ensuring the “living document” stays active

Final Thoughts

An Emergency Operations Plan is not a checkbox. It’s a strategic tool, a roadmap for how your municipality acts when disasters strike. Using FEMA’s CPG guidance, grounded in NIMS principles, your community can build a robust, practical, and resilient EOP that brings clarity to chaos.

By having that plan in place, you’re not just preparing for the unexpected; you’re building trust, setting expectations, and laying the foundation for effective response and recovery. At Next Wave Preparedness + PDR Strategies, we believe every community deserves a plan that works, and we’re here to help you build it.