Starke County Emergency Planning Committee Kick-Off Meeting Scheduled for January

Posted on November 17, 2017
Author Jacque Ryan, WKVI

Starke County Emergency Management Agency Director J. Nier {Nigh-er} officially assumed her position back in early October. Currently, she’s working on organizing a meeting for the Starke County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) for January of next year.

Director Nier stated the responsibilities of the EMA include promoting preparedness and acting a logistical support for first responders. The LEPC specifically deals with tracking where hazardous materials are within the community and coming up with plans to take action on potential spills if they occur.

She said the Local Emergency Planning Committee is comprised of various individuals who represent specific sectors within the county.

“Basically, its made up of twelve members.” Nier said, “We’ll have somebody that represents the government, the community, EMA, police and police.”

She added that there can be more than one person from a specific department who serves on the committee. They also try to promote the use of proxies, just in case the members are unable to attend themselves. She said that LEPC isn’t open to just anyone due to the hazardous chemicals the committee members deal with and address.