David Kitchens, director
1304 Railroad Avenue
Shelbyville, TN 37160
DIAL 9-1-1 IN AN EMERGENCY
Non-emergency phone: (931) 684-5974
The Bedford County Emergency Management Agency (BCEMA) is an office under the direction and control of the County Mayor. BCEMA provides county-wide emergency management program leadership, continuity, and direction to enable Bedford County and its partners to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the impact of natural, man-made, or technological disasters involving residents and/or property.
History
BCEMA was originally established in the late 1960s as a Civil Defense agency. This era was during the Cold War when the United States and the Soviet Union faced each other with large nuclear weapons arsenals. Emphasis was placed on training citizens to initially survive a nuclear attack and then to have stockpiled provisions to survive during the aftermath and recovery. The mission of BCEMA evolved into more than just preparation for nuclear war. It became responsible for facilitating the protection for county residents from natural, man-made, and weapons of mass destruction disasters. This includes, for example, hazardous chemical spills, severe weather disasters, and biological weapon attacks.
