December 18, 2024
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) would like to congratulate Eric Ekhoff on being named Employee of the Year.
Eric played a crucial role in organizing efforts for the 2024 Solar Eclipse. He led several operations and planning meetings, including a live exercise where federal, state, local, and private entities participated in several emergency scenarios in preparation for the event.
Additionally, Eric proposed the creation of a Citizen’s Portal, which could be used during the eclipse to help citizens who sought information about the location of safe rooms, hospitals, fire departments, police stations, and local events taking place in celebration of the event.
“I felt a major need to push out this information so people could prepare for and enjoy the eclipse. I wanted it all to be in one location so it was easily accessible and people didn’t have to scramble searching for it,” said Eric. “It was personal for me because I grew up in Arkansas and I wanted to keep my family and friends informed and safe for this once in a lifetime event.”
The Citizen’s Portal has now become a permanent fixture on ADEM’s website. You may access it here: https://dps.arkansas.gov/emergency-management/adem/
Before Eric began his career with ADEM, he worked as a 911 dispatcher in Van Buren County for over a decade. He was also involved with the Fairfield Bay Fire and Police Departments, as well as Survival Flight. Eric has always been passionate about serving and giving back to his community.
Eric’s exceptional dedication and his willingness to lead the planning efforts for the eclipse are greatly appreciated by the entire team at ADEM. He took on a considerable challenge to support our state and helped create a valuable resource that Arkansans can continue to utilize during future emergencies or disaster situations.
The Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) is the state’s homeland security and preparedness agency. The agency works to identify and lessen the effects of emergencies, disasters and threats to Arkansas by developing effective prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery actions for all disasters and emergencies. For additional information, contact ADEM at (501) 683-6700 or visit the website at www.adem.arkansas.gov.