Allen County Emergency Management Agency Justice Center
333 N. Main Street
Lima, OH 45802

Phone:
(419) 993 1404
Fax:
(419) 222 3757

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• PDF Version of Annual Report

• 2002 Another Busy Year for EMA
• LASER Group Gains Recognition
• Grants on the Rise in Allen County
• Look for Changes in Homeland Security
• Warning Sirens in Allen County
• Welcome Dave Webb
• Goals for 2002-2007 (Updated)
• Thank You to the people who make the Allen County Emergency Management Agency programs a success!

2002 Another Busy Year for EMA
by Russell J. Decker, EMA Director

2002 marked another busy year for the Allen County Emergency Management Agency. The focus of our efforts shifted dramatically from an emphasis on natural disasters and hazardous materials to issues of homeland security. And although our calls for service were down slightly over our record high set in 2001, we still saw an increase in hazardous material and other calls for service when compared to the most recent five-year average. In total, this agency responded to 192 calls for service, 83 of which involved hazardous chemical releases or spills.

A number of “firsts” also occurred in 2002. We initiated an Ozone Alert Plan, which was adopted by both the Allen County Commissioners and Lima City Council that encourages residents to limit ozone creating activity on days when air quality levels are at risk. In 2002 fifteen such Ozone Alert Days were declared and voluntary compliance by area residents increased with each occurrence. 2002 also marked Allen County’s certification as a “Storm Ready County” by the National Weather Service. Currently only four Ohio counties have achieved this national recognition of severe weather preparedness.

On the Homeland Security front a number of accomplishments occurred. The successful completion of the U. S. Mail anthrax irradiation project concluded in April after 148 semi-truckloads of mail were processed at the Titan Scan Technologies facility here. Our local efforts efforts have received statewide and national recognition. Training exercises were held throughout the county dealing with biological and chemical terrorism scenarios, including drills partnering with the Allen County Health Department, the Allen County Fair Board, and the LASER Task Force. In every exercise, local responders practiced interfacing their response with state and federal responders including representatives from the local and Cleveland offices of the FBI.

Homeland Security forums were also held at a number of area high schools last spring hosted by the Allen County Commissioners. Participants in the forums included representatives from local police and fire departments, sheriff’s office, health department, and the emergency management agency. These community leaders answered the students’ questions about homeland security preparations here and how national issues can affect us. High schools participating in the forums included Bluffton, Delphos Jefferson, Lima Senior, Perry and Spencerville.

And finally, we are pleased to announce that our agency was successful in attracting the 2003 Ohio Spills Prevention and Emergency Response Conference to the Veterans Memorial Civic Center and the Wingate Inn in Lima this fall. The event is expected to attract between 400-500 first responders, industry leaders, and environmental specialists to Allen County for the three day session.

Calls For Service - Breakout By Fire District FIRE DISTRICT HAZMAT Calls MISC. Calls TOTAL Calls Bath 09 13 22 Beaverdam 15 03 18 Bluffton 01 02 03 Cairo 05 01 06 Delphos 00 03 03 Elida 05 18 23 Harrod 02 02 04 Layfayette 03 01 04 Lima 23 21 44 Perry 03 14 17 Shawnee 14 07 21 Spencerville 01 07 08 Westminster 01 00 01 Total 83 96 179 *The EMA also responded to 13 weather incidents in 2002

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LASER Group Gains Recognition

More than 450 government officials, law enforcement officers, firefighters, business and industry policy makers gathered in Columbus last fall to attend Governor Bob Taft’s Homeland Security Forum to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Featured at the forum as a “best practice” were members of the Lima Area Security and Emergency Response Task Force or LASER. Ohio EMA Director Dale Shipley commented that the LASER group was a leading example of how local communities should be working together to deal with the complex issues of Homeland Security.

The LASER group is made up of senior level management from the Premcor Lima Refinery, BP Lima Chemicals, Akzo Nobel Chemicals, General Dynamics, Chemtrade Logistics, the commander from the Lima Army Tank Plant, police chiefs from the city of Lima and Shawnee Township, Sheriff Dan Beck, and county EMA Director Russ Decker. Beck and Decker were joined by BP’s Fred Fassel and Director Shipley in making a presentation at the Governor’s forum.

“Teamwork and thinking outside the box,” Sheriff Beck told the group, “is the key to making this whole thing work. Since 9/11 we’ve seen the private sector contribute more than two million dollars to security efforts in our county.” he said.

“Trust among the members is what I see as a big advantage we have now in Allen County that will make us better in the long run,” explained Decker. BP’s Fred Fassel added, “We’ve all learned that we have to depend on our neighbors to get through this.”

Lt. Governor Maureen O’Connor said the Allen County LASER group is a “shining example of how Ohio communities are leading the way in Homeland Security. The LASER group should be held up as a model across the state and even to the nation,” she said.

Since the governor’s forum, the LASER group has also been recognized by the Ohio Chemistry Technology Council and will be featured this June at the World Conference on Disaster Management in Toronto, Canada.

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Grant Funding on the Rise in Allen County

The Allen County EMA has attracted a record amount of grant funding in 2002 and 2003. Use of these funding sources now accounts for more than 75% of the agency’s overall funding. Below is a listing of some of the grants awarded to the Allen County EMA.

2003 EMA Funding Sources

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Look for Changes in Homeland Security

Allen County EMA Director Russell Decker was among 67 local first responders attending a five-day Homeland Security meeting in the nation’s capital this spring.

Speaking to the group were leaders of the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) including Secretary Tom Ridge and Undersecretary Mike Brown of the Emergency Preparedness and Response branch of Department of Homeland Security.

Effective March 1, 2003 the new department officially took form merging 22 different federal agencies and departments into a single entity designed to make America safe from all hazards. Some of the agencies absorbed by the Department of Homeland Security include FEMA, Coast Guard, Secret Service, and Border Patrol, just to name a few.

Secretary Brown spoke about the new department’s mission affirming that, “ it is more than just a terrorism department, Department of Homeland Security has to be concerned with all hazards much as the FEMA agency had before.” Brown continued by stating, “look for the FEMA name to go away as the EP&R branch will assume most of the old FEMA duties, plus some new ones. Names might change, but the federal government’s commitment to assist and support state and local responses to all types of disasters whether man-made or naturally occurring will continue.

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Warning Sirens in Allen County

Allen County now operates 19 outdoor warning sirens as part of the countywide warning system. Efforts are underway to obtain funding to secure an additional 17 sirens in 2003 which would bring to 36 the total number of sirens in the system.

The sirens are operated by the Allen County EMA and are tested the first Wednesday of each month at noon. The test typically lasts for about one minute.

In the event of an emergency, the sirens can be activated through the county’s 911 Communications Center in the sheriff’s office, from the EMA Emergency Operations Center, or from the EMA command vehicle.

The sirens are automatically activated anytime a TORNADO WARNING is issued for Allen County by the National Weather Service. The sirens can also be activated for other severe weather incidents as well as hazardous material releases or any other emergency when local authorities deem that it is in the best interest of public safety for residents to go indoors. EMA Director Russell Decker reminds everyone that the sirens simply mean “to go inside and tune to a local radio or TV station for official and more detailed information.” The sirens are designed to serve as an outdoor warning device and therefore are not designed to necessarily alert someone inside of their home, school or office. “NOAA weather radios are the best answer to indoor warning systems we have available,” said Decker.

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Welcome Dave Webb

The Allen County Emergency Management Agency is pleased to welcome our newest staff member, Dave Webb.

Dave joins our agency as Deputy Director thanks to a special funding grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Dave retired as Assistant Chief from the Lima Fire Department in 2001 after a 27-year career. A graduate of Lima Senior High School, Dave and his wife Jenny have two children, Michael and Rachel.

Goals for 2002-2007 (Updated)

• Expanding EMA professional staff with the hiring of an Assistant Director.
  Hired a part-time deputy director with a special FEMA Grant.
• WMD training for all first responders in Allen County.
  Trained more than 150 first responders in 2002, program moving forward in 2003.
• Implement a countywide Ozone Action Plan.
  Plan implemented in 2002, resulting in 15 declared “Ozone Action Days.”
• Acquire funding for an additional 17 outdoor warning sirens.
  Working with Congressman Oxley’s office to secure funding, hopeful of grant announcement in 2003.
• Achieve national accreditation for the country EMA Program.
  Continue work towards this goal through projects with Ohio EMA and FEMA.
• Achieve national accreditation (CEM) for county EMA Director.
  Director passed national exam in November, accreditation announcement in March 2003.
• Establish a countywide Public Safety Professionals Recognition Program.
  Project remains in the initial stages.

EMA SPEAKERS BUREAU
Presentations available on topics such as Homeland Security, Severe Weather, Hazardous Materials, Bomb Threats, Emergency Planning and more!
Call the EMA at 419-993-1404 for more info!

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THANK YOU to the people who make the Allen County Emergency Management Agency programs a success!

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