District Field Officers, or “DFOs,” are emergency management specialists serving as the agency’s liaisons to local jurisdictions.  They are knowledgeable about all phases of emergency management: preparedness, prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery, and they come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences.

Montana DES' DFOs excel at local collaboration and relationship building to help ensure that the communities they serve are prepared, protected, and supported before, during, and after emergencies. 

• Before emergencies, they help local communities by advising on and helping coordinate disaster planning, training and exercises. 
• When an emergency happens, they support their local responders by providing guidance on the use of the Incident Command System to increase efficiency, safety, and situational awareness.  They also work as liaisons between the local jurisdiction and the State Emergency Coordination Center (SECC) to help provide information and resource coordination support. 
• After disasters, DFOs help local jurisdictions navigate the often complex recovery process to obtain financial reimbursements for response efforts, restoration of critical infrastructure, and in some cases, individual assistance for impacted residents.

The DFOs in Montana are dispersed throughout three primary Regions and work in six Districts.  They live in the areas where they work, and they know and have strong relationships with their local stakeholders.

Districts

MT DES is proud of our DFO team and the important work that they do.  For more information, contact your local DFO directly.