Local Emergency Planning Committee was held recently at the Sheriff’s Office training room. The Shakeout was discussed. Emery County won’t be directly involved with what is going on at the state level, but they will meet locally with seven surrounding counties and have their own communication/logistics exercise. All personnel will remain in their own county and they will field mock questions from the state concerning the disaster and what help these surrounding areas can lend the Wasatch Front. All of the dispatch centers or mobile command posts from Vernal, Duchesne, Carbon, Grand, Emery, Uintah Basin and San Juan will be linked so they can inject comments for an action plan.
A major earthquake in Utah will affect the entire state. Emergency crews from the outlying areas will be needed to aid along the Wasatch Front with an actual event. Emery County has an inventory of its resources and knows how many workers they could spare to go and help in a major incident. Consideration of what Emery County needs comes first and then any excess resources that can be spared will be sent to the disaster. Any help sent would need to be self-supporting for at least the first 72 hours. Capt. Kyle Ekker said Emery County has a command center, fuel truck, 20 hazmat techs and would actually be able to lend out quite a bit of aid in a disaster situation.
The emergency operations plan was discussed. The plan meets all of the requirements and guidelines for FEMA. It will be presented soon at a county commission meeting for their approval. Elmo has approved the emergency operations plan. The other cities and towns are expected to approve the plan too in upcoming meetings.
The school district needs to be contacted to see if a plan is in place so the schools can be used as a shelter in the event of an emergency. The Red Cross will supervise the center and the LEPC members have been trained to act as volunteers in the shelter. The Red Cross was supposed to contact the school district to get this shelter agreement in place and follow through needs to be taken to make sure this is complete. Capt. Ekker said he has plans to have the county attorney draw up a memorandum of understanding that can be signed by both the county and the school district.
The Red Cross that responds to a disaster in Emery County will come out of Provo.
Huntington just held a CERT meeting.
Plans are going forward for the Emergency Preparedness Fair on April 28 at the Carbon County Events Center. It will run from 12-6 p.m. and free hamburgers will be served from noon-2 p.m. Both Utah State University Extension offices from Carbon and Emery counties are involved with the fair and they will be preparing articles for the newspapers on earthquake preparedness and information about the fair. Joe Dougherty from the Dept. of Emergency Management will be the keynote speaker and earthquake information will be handed out at the fair.
The fair is coming together, so far 15-20 booths are registered and fire departments from both counties will be there.
Capt. Ekker reported the surveys taken in Green River regarding an evacuation in the event of a nuclear disaster were completed. It was very successful and 125 contacts were made. Fifty percent of those responding to the survey listened to the Code Red messages on their telephones. Eight percent responded to the mailers sent out.
Tier II reports must be completed by all area businesses, these reports are to log what chemicals are onsite at that particular business and the quantities that are stored. These reports will help in any type of emergency haz-mat situation.
The fire district is trying to decide what type of ladder truck to purchase that will be the most advantageous to the county. They are thinking the 105 length will be the best. It will be used for fire and also for search and rescue as needed. The fire district will apply for grants to purchase the truck. These trucks are estimated to cost $650,000 or more.
May 8-9 will be the Public Safety Summit in Layton. They will have several interesting presentations and speakers including social media and the Herriman fire, how to fight fire in refineries, presentation on the rodent control that caused the death of two small girls, nuclear power plant and the Chevron pipe break.
The fireworks laws have been changed again.
Jerry Livingston reported the Huntington Fire station is nearing completion and a ribbon cutting and tour will take place at 3 p.m. on April 27. They are having their CERT training regularly.
A new CERT trainer is being considered, since the resignation of the former trainer.
Robby Donaldson from the medical reserve corps said they are always looking for people to volunteer with them. Medical background is helpful, but not required as there is much volunteers can do.
Mark Crane from Enviro Care said they are involved in two-three cleanups a week and are very busy. The high profile spills have made companies more aware of what they need to do when a spill occurs and their responsibility in the reporting processes that need to take place.
Securing earthquake hazards in your home
Utah is earthquake country. Every year, seismologists at the University of Utah record around 800 quakes. Most of them aren’t strong enough to be felt, but a few times a year some communities in Utah experience a quake that is strong enough to cause concern.
Listed below are some things you can do to prepare your home for a quake:
Move heavy furniture, such as bookcases, away from your bed
Secure tall furniture into a wall stud
Clear all exit paths of clutter
Secure water heater with an earthquake safety strap
Install latches on cupboards containing glassware and china
Know how and where to shut off your gas and water lines
Secure collectibles and other loose objects with earthquake putty
Secure TV or other heavy electronics with flexible nylon straps
The Great Utah ShakeOut will be held April 17. More information can be found at www.ShakeOut.org/Utah. Along with the theme of the Great Utah ShakeOut, Carbon and Emery counties will be sponsoring “Shake It Up In Eastern Utah” – at their Emergency Preparedness Fair on April 28 at the Carbon County Event Center.
Building a family emergency kit
On April 28 instruction will be given on how to create your own grab-and-go kits, also known as 72-hour kits. This instruction will be given at the Region VI Carbon Emery Emergency Preparedness Fair which will be held at the Carbon County Event Center. The fair will be from noon until 6 p.m, with free hamburgers and hotdogs being served until 2 p.m. (while supplies last).
When disaster strikes, you may only have enough time to grab the essentials: food, water and survival supplies. It is important to have these items easily accessible and ready to grab.
Grab-and-go kits may include the following items:
Water (one gallon per person per day for at least three days)
Food (at least a three-day supply of nonperishable food)
Flashlight (extra batteries)
Battery-powered or hand-crank radio
Whistle
Dust mask
Moist towelettes, garbage bag and plastic ties for personal sanitation
Candles and waterproof matches in a waterproof container
Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children
Hard candy or favorite treat
Other essential items
Attend the fair on April 28, noon-6 p.m., to learn more about emergency preparedness and other essential items for grab-and-go kits. If you have any questions or would like to have a vendor booth, contact Angelia Crowther at 435-636-3740 or angelia.crowther@carbon.utah.gov; or Christine Jensen at 435-381-2381 or christine.jensen@usu.edu.
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