About the association

The Emergency Management Association of McLean County (the Association) is an independent non-governmental 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization comprised of the volunteer members of the McLean County Emergency Management Agency (the EMA; Agency). The goal of the Association is to provide support for the volunteers of the McLean County EMA that may otherwise be unmet through County or State of Illinois funding options.

The mission of the Emergency Management Association of McLean County is to:
  • Independently manage a fund to aid in meeting the needs (training, equipment, etc.) of members that are unmet through County or State of Illinois funding options.
  • Facilitate critical care of our K9 partners by administering a fund to aid in emergency veterinary treatment.
  • Create an avenue for submitting, receiving, and administering donations and grants to support the unmet needs of our Agency volunteers.
Questions often arise about the difference between the McLean County Emergency Management Agency and the Emergency Management Association of McLean County.
The McLean County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is the official governmental agency that responds to/provides support for emergencies and disasters. The agency is comprised of two paid staff employed by the County of McLean and a volunteer staff of approximately 45 individuals. All staff members, paid and volunteer, are sworn McLean County Emergency Management Agency officials within McLean County.
The Emergency Management Association of McLean County is a non-governmental 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. The Association has no emergency response authority or mandate and association members do not, and cannot, respond to any emergency or offer any emergency services on behalf of the Association.

How Can you help

The Association’s current focus is on furthering the support for the volunteers of the McLean County EMA in the practice of emergency management and search and rescue . The Association continues to help address the training and equipment needs of the McLean County Emergency Management Agency’s volunteers as well as those of other public safety organizations in McLean County. Historically, Agency volunteers have paid for nearly all their own training and equipment. The Association has been an integral part of helping to defray those costs so that volunteers can continue to help serve the County of McLean while reducing the impact of these expenses on each individual. In addition, the Association has been a key partner in funding enhancements and support for many of the core response assets for the McLean County EMA. A wonderful example of this is seen at the bottom of this page. The best way to aid the volunteers who devote their time and expertise in these critical disciplines is to financially support our mission. If you are interested in donating, please use the Donate button below to contribute through PayPal (which also accepts credit cards). Donations may also be mailed to the Association directly at our mailing address below. Inquiries about non-monetary donations may be made to the same address. Donations are tax deductible as permitted by the federal tax code for 501(c)(3) not-for-profit entities.
Emergency Management Association of McLean County
907 N. Main Street
Normal, IL  61761-1501
Ever wonder how your donations are used?  One example is our state of the art, climate controlled deployment trailer which was made possible through a variety of Association-facilitated private donations, including donations from Corn Belt Kennel Club and the local Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) Post 454.  Extensive labor for the interior remodel of the trailer was also provided by Association members.