March 25, 2012
03/26/12 The Marshall County Commissioners and the Marshall County Council will convene for a special joint public meeting on Wednesday, March 28th at 7:00 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room on the second floor of the County Building located at112 West Jefferson Street in Plymouth. The purpose of special meeting is to discussing emergency/disaster planning procedures.
Marshall County EMA Director Clyde Avery is back from a week in the tornado ravaged southern Indiana helping to serve our neighbors to the south. Seeing how the communities responded to the extensive damage and how they are facing the financial issues related to the damage was eye-opening for him. He plans on informing the Commissioners, Council and other government agencies in the county and the public of the struggles and responsibilities they are facing.
Avery said, “I will be discussing the disaster declaration process and how important it is for elected officials to be involved.” He explained by saying, “Every disaster/emergency begins at the local level and they are ultimately responsible for the safety of the citizens in the community.” He wants them to be aware that they will also be responsible for paying the bills, and Henryville is a reminder of why Marshall County needs to have plans, mutual-aid agreements, and contracts in place prior to an incident occurring in Marshall County.
Avery said, “I will be discussing the importance of documentation, documentation, documentation, because without it, it may be difficult to impossible to receive reimbursement from FEMA, if we are eligible. I will also be discussing having a plan on how to handle donations and volunteers because they will come, so we need to be ready.”
The Marshall County EMA Director will also discuss the District Task Force concept and why we need additional support from local agencies.