EMA Director Expresses Concerns of Advisory Board on Sheriff’s Department Participation in Comprehensive Emergency Mgt. Plan

The Marshall County Emergency Management Director, Clyde Avery told the commissioners on Monday that the county is eligible for the Emergency Management Performance Grant.  The salary reimbursement grant which pays up to 50% of the EMA Director’s salary for 2021.  The grant is payable in 2022. 

Commissioner Overmyer asked about the benefit reimbursement and Avery said benefits are no longer included.  He said there is now a cap on the amount of reimbursement, but the cap won’t affect Marshall County. 

The second discussion involved the EMA Advisory Council’s review of the County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plans for 2021.  There was some extensive discussion about possibly making some changes to the emergency support function coordinating agencies within the plan.  Avery said, “In order for the plan to work, we need those agencies to be active participants in implementing their portion of the plan when we have a declared emergency or disaster.” 

The EMA Director said they have run into some problems in the past with being able to get law enforcement and public safety to get engaged with them and coordinate with the elected officials and other departments that are active when there are disasters. 

County Commissioners Kevin Overmyer asked, in the past they haven’t had much participation from the Sheriff’s Department?  Avery confirmed the comment and said, “It actually got to the point where we have to rewrite our Travel Advisory Ordinance and eliminate the Sheriff’s Department from the decision making matrix and now it falls back to the Highway Department and EMA Director.” 

Commissioner Overmyer asked, “If we leave it this way and we have an emergency and our team does not participate in the emergency and we have issues, what happens since that department is key to this plan?” 

Avery said all the coordinating agencies in the plan are essential.  The Sheriff’s Department is designated as a lifeline in the plan as an emergency support function.  The EMA Director said it is a hindrance when we have agencies in the plan that don’t want to participate or cooperate.    

The Advisory Board recommended leaving the plan as it is at this time and the commissioners had already adopted the plan when they changed when Commissioner Mike Burroughs came on the board as the new commissioners.

There was no vote since there were no changes to the plan.