Wisconsin Emergency Management

A flooded town in Wisconsin

Business Emergency Operation Center & Public Private Partnerships

Building Whole Community Resiliency

Well prepared businesses help build resilient communities

Wisconsin Emergency Management is here as a resource to help build the resilience of your business, which in turn can help strengthen your community.

Ice storms, severe storms, tornadoes, floods, pandemics, active shooters, dam/levee failures, and hazardous-materials incidents are all disasters Wisconsin businesses have encountered. Is your business ready for the next disaster?

If you are not sure where to start and are curious as to what other businesses like yours have done to prepare, consider joining a Public-Private Partnership Program.

Public-Private Partnerships (P3s)

Benefits of joining a P3

  • Business continuity plan
  • Protect your business
  • Helps meet legal requirements (OSHA section 5(a)(1))
  • Free P3 Summits
  • Free Exercises, Workshops, and webinars
  • Networking opportunities with private and public sector partners
  • Situational awareness and P3/BEOC news bulletins

There are different P3s that may be accepting members and a business can be a member of multiple P3s.

  • WEM’s P3 called the BEOC is free to any business, non-profit organization, religious organization, P3, and association
  • There are region specific P3s which can be formal with a charter or more informal
  • There are sector specific P3s (Example: Many of Wisconsin’s electric utilities are part of a P3 with the Department of Military Affairs)

How to join

Contact Derek Bodmer (derek.bodmer@widma.gov) for application assistance or refer you to regional or sector specific P3s if available.

Additional Information on P3s

If you would like more information on P3s and examples on how P3s have been used nationally please check out the FEMA guide Building Private-Public Partnerships.

Business Emergency Operation Center (BEOC)

What is the BEOC and how does it work

During an disaster, the BEOC works with emergency management to help identify and access resources (food, water, fuel, cleaning supplies, financial resources, medications, etc.) to assist with disaster response and recovery.

BEOC members share information with emergency management and other members on damages, supply chain interruptions, security needs, and other issues that help them prioritize response efforts. By having a direct line of communication with emergency management, BEOC members can help ensure that their needs are addressed, and that they have the information needed to make sound decisions.

Options on how to become a member of the BEOC

How to become a BEOC Liaison

If you are interested in Incident Command Systems/National Incident Management Systems there is also an opportunity to become a Private Sector BEOC Liaison and serve in the BEOC, either virtually or within the State Emergency Operations Center, as the conduit between the State Emergency Operations Center and the business community throughout the state during times of disaster.

  • Be a subject matter expert
  • Submit an application form
    * Contact Wisconsin’s Community Preparedness Coordinator
  • A three-year commitment
  • Take classes:
    • Attend the Wisconsin State Emergency Operations Center Liaison course (6 hours in person at WEM)
    • IS100a. Incident Command System (independent online study course through FEMA)
    • IS230a. Fundamentals of Emergency Management (independent online study course through FEMA)
    • IS662 Improving Preparedness and Resilience through Public-Private Partnerships (independent online study course through FEMA)
    • Introduction to WebEOC
  • Either in-person in the State Emergency Operations Center or virtually present during a disaster activation

We consider any business to join the BEOC an asset; however, businesses that specialize in the following categories are considered ‘community lifeline’ businesses and are highly encouraged to join:

  • Food, Water, and Sheltering
  • Energy
  • Health and Medical
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Hazardous Materials
  • Communications
  • Transportation

P3 and BEOC Contact Information

Community Preparedness Coordinator

Email: WEMPPP@widma.gov or derek.bodmer@widma.gov

Other Resources

Other Organizations

Wisconsin Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (WI VOAD) is a nonprofit organization comprised of various other non-profits, faith based groups, and other community based organizations whose mission it is to strengthen the capabilities of organizations working together in Wisconsin to respond to communities affected by disaster. If you would like to learn more about WI VOAD please check out their website  https://www.wivoad.org/ 

Cyber Security Resources

Every organization large and small must be prepared to respond to disruptive cyber incidents. There are a number of agencies who provide free resources for businesses to check out to help bolster their defenses. Please contact the Wisconsin Statewide Intelligence Center, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation if something cyber related occurs that is out of the ordinary for your business.

Wisconsin Statewide Intelligence Center

Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency

Check out the Shields Up campaign where you can find helpful cyber security resources including a catalog of free services and the latest cyber updates. https://www.cisa.gov/shields-up. Organizations should report anomalous cyber activity and/or cyber incidents 24/7 to report@cisa.gov or (888) 282-0870.

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Organization should report anomalous cyber activity and or cyber incidents to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) https://www.ic3.gov/ or contact Wisconsin’s nearest FBI field office in Milwaukee: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/milwaukee.

Other helpful FBI cyber sites: https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/cyber & https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/cyber/partnerships.