September is National Preparedness Month
- Know your risk
- Know what could happen where you and your family live. This helps you figure out what you need to do to stay safe. You can explore various disasters and emergencies on Ready.gov.
- Make a family emergency plan
- Making a plan early helps you reduce stress and save time and money. Follow four easy steps and create a free Family Emergency Plan quickly and easily with our fillable form.
- Disasters are costly but preparing for them doesn’t have to be. Taking time to prepare now can help save you thousands of dollars and give you peace of mind when the next disaster or emergency occurs. Visit Ready.gov’s low and no-cost tip page to see how you can be better prepared without spending a lot of money.
- Build an emergency supply kit
- Having enough food, water and medicine can help you stay safe and comfortable until help arrives. Having what you need can also prevent injury and damage to your home.
- Build a go-bag with all the essentials you might need, so you don’t need to scramble in an evacuation situation. Find a list of supplies at Build A Kit.
Welcome to Steele County Emergency & Risk Management
Steele County Emergency & Risk Management maintains an on-call state of readiness twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. This is accomplished by the dedication of two Emergency Management staff members:
- Kristen Sailer, Emergency & Risk Management Director, Safety Officer
kristen.sailer@steelecountymn.gov - Megan Ringhofer, Emergency Management Specialist & Deputy Director
megan.ringhofer@steelecountymn.gov
Our volunteer programs include:
- CERT – Community Emergency Response Team
- SKYWARN – Severe Weather Spotter program
- RACES – Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service
- CAER – Community Awareness Emergency Response
These programs are successful because of many volunteers who, with the willingness of their family and employers, can leave at a moment’s notice to serve our community when needed. Our staff and volunteers are well prepared to respond to disasters because of the pride and enthusiasm they show in ongoing training for disaster response. They have been tried and tested during tornadoes, floods, and other disasters and have performed extremely well in past disasters. In addition to responding to disasters, our staff and volunteers provide public education opportunities in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.
Steele County Emergency Management is also supported by many other groups, including:
We hope this website has provided you with valuable information regarding the emergency management programs and our services along with helpful disaster information.
Contact Steele County Emergency Management staff by calling 507-444-7700 or by e-mail at scem@steelecountymn.gov if you have any questions.
Updated 16-Jun-2026