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Local Emergency Planning Committee Meeting

August 17, 2006

 

            Vivian Button , Aaron Hickert, Todd Hampton, Sharon Phelps, Marty Long, Richard Banes, George Bushnell,         Ruben Flores, J. J. Deckert, Richard Everett and Shayla Jaquez                      

            Meeting called to order at 1:35 PM with 11 members present.

            Todd Hampton made a motion to accept the minutes to the last meeting. Ruben seconded.  Motion passed.

            The Regional Homeland Security Council met in Garden City today to go over their 3 project proposals for their grant funds.  Don Button and John Crosby were gone to this meeting. Their three projects are Training and Exercises, Interoperable Communications, and Deployable Response Resources (Incident Management Team).  The City of Ulysses is going to be the fiscal agent for the council.

            Vivian Button attended a meeting on the Electronic County Emergency Operations Plan in Garden City.  We hope to have each department a password so they can work on their part of the plan before the next meeting.

            We are still planning on have a Full Scale Exercise in October.  It will be on a Saturday and involve both out in the field and in the Emergency Operations Center.  The players will be local, state and federal.  There will be a one day workshop on October 12 to help prepare for the exercise.  We hope to utilize the GIS information to help with the exercise.

            The 2005 HMEP Grant has been completed.  Four responders were sent to Hazardous Material Technician training in Pueblo, Colorado.

            The KEMA (Kansas Emergency Management Association) Conference will be September 13 -15 in Hays.  It has lots of training. 

            The HazMat Symposium is October 24-29, 2006 in Wichita.  This Symposium has a lot of training classes each day for first responders as well as industry.

            If you are interested in further information about these classes or the LEPC please call Don Button at 620-356-4430.

            Just a reminder to be NIMS compliant individuals and responders must have the NIMS class by October.  You can go to FEMA.gov and take the class. Richard Everett stated KDEM is presenting through Interactive Video Conferencing an IS 700 (NIMS) class. The closest location is Sublette on September 28, 2006. He thought the time was 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

            Lance Babcock and Marty Long attended a Seminar in Stevens County on Courthouse Security put on by Homeland Security.  The main concern was to keep the Court system functioning.  They have also decided that the District Court personnel should be NIMS compliant.  Later in the year Homeland Security will be sending out people to inspect the courthouse and tell up what steps we can take to make it safer.

            Marty also asked if we had any NIMS classes coming up.  Several others stated they also had people who needed the class. We do not have and NIMS classed set up at this time.

            Marty also stated David Graber was the new manager for the Transfer Station.

            Richard Everett stated they had done all of their pandemic flu exercises.  The have an exercise coming up on October 18 that will include Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas.  Only the bordering counties can participate but other counties can watch.  It will be a table top to test the Risk Communications and Emergency Operations Centers.  They are also looking into the Amateur Radio Operators for help in times of need.  On September 8th at the SHERT Meeting they are going to discuss and have a representative from the Amateur Radio Relay League.

            George Bushnell stated the NOAA radio tower and EMS antenna do have a generator with a battery backup.

            Aaron Hickert from BP stated they have an upcoming IMP drill and the local emergency services will be getting information in the next week or so.

            Todd Hampton stated that Don had taken the Communication trailer to the Seward County LEPC and let them look at it.  They are going to help with the radio systems.  The Communication trailer will be used regional in needed.  Natalie from his office is going to be doing the grant paperwork for the Regional Homeland Security Council.

            Sharon Phelps from the Health Department stated they should have the flu vaccine in by the middle of October.  They are busy giving shots, t-b skin test and physicals getting everyone ready for school.

            Rubin Flores stated they were working on repairing streets and their next project will be painting the water tower.

            Jerry Jo Deckert stated they have 2 people who should complete the Paramedic Class in September.  Garden City is starting another Paramedic Class in January.  They have replaced the EMS repeater.  It was over 20 years old.  Because the generator was already set up it saved them about $2000.  With the Grant Funds from last year EMS purchased mass casualty equipment, (disposable spine boards, c-collars, disposable blankets), they are looking at putting some of these on the HazMat trailer and the Communication Trailer so they will be available during a disaster. 

            EMS has also received a $1800 grant for the Kansas Methamphetamine Prevention Project.  On October 14 at the Civic Center they will have training available to anyone interested on how to deal with a person on Meth and how to tell if a person is on Meth.

            EMS is also teaching CPR and First Aid classes in the next few weeks.  If you have anyone who needs to take a class please call 620-356-3400.

            It was decided by the committee to have the next meeting at 7:00 PM on September 21.

            The meeting was adjourned at 2:20.

 

Submitted by Vivian Button