David L. Hempen
Preparedness Bureau Chief
David Hempen heads up the Preparedness Bureau, where he is responsible for planning, training and exercise activities in the state. This includes the state Emergency Response Plan, Iowa Recovery Plan, Iowa Hazard Mitigation Plan, and the Capitol Complex Plan. His bureau also assists county planning efforts, assists and oversees many disaster exercises, and provides training to county coordinators and first responders.
Mr. Hempen teaches several courses including exercise design, awareness level weapons of mass destruction, emergency planning, and emergency planning for schools. He has also instructed courses at the University of Iowa and is an adjunct instructor for the Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Md., and has been a guest speaker at several conferences.
Mr. Hempen serves as one of the NIMS coordinators in the state of Iowa, where he assists jurisdictions in becoming compliant with NIMS objectives. He has served on several national working groups for NIMS objectives and implementation. During disasters, Mr. Hempen acts as a lead planner for the state emergency operations center, and guides representatives from different state agencies to determine future goals and develop a formal plan that is approved by executive members of government to meet these goals.
Mr. Hempen was a a police officer in the Cedar Falls Police Department for 21 years prior to his employment at HSEMD. He first worked as a patrol officer, and then later developed and maintained the department’s first K-9 program, which he oversaw for 12 years. During his tenure at CFPD, Mr. Hempen received several awards for drug and criminal apprehension and for much of that time was in charge of department-wide training and hiring.
