Emergency Management was reorganized in 1997 into functional units, using the Incident Command system (ICS), the national model for managing emergency operations. This organizational structure mirrors the local incident command structure and the federal Emergency Response Team structure, thus streamlining and simplifying intergovernmental coordination. The six major functional sections are Public Information, Hazard Mitigation, Operations, Logistics, Information and Planning, and Finance. From the County Building in Wilkesboro the Emergency Management Division responds quickly to support local emergency operations.

The work of the Wilkes County Emergency Management Division includes a four phase approach: preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation.