(Posted May 11, 2015)
By Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor
In case of a natural or man-made disaster, Clark and Madison counties have each other’s backs.
On May 4, the Madison County commissioners signed a memorandum of understanding with the Clark County commissioners for use of county-owned facilities in emergency situations.
Say a tornado strikes in Clark County causing extensive damage, Clark County could look to Madison County to temporarily relocate government offices, shelter people, store donated supplies or stage equipment resources for first responders. The agreement is reciprocal, should Madison County experience a large-scale emergency.
“We like to think about problems before they become problems,” said Roger Roberts, director of the Madison County Emergency Management Agency (EMA), who developed the agreement with Clark County EMA director, Lisa D’Allessandris.
The memorandum of understanding outlines which county-owned facilities would be available for use in each county, as well as the rate of reimbursement for use of those facilities and related staffing and materials between counties.
“It’s about continuity of government resources,” Roberts said. “We wanted to open the dialogue now so that we have plans in place beforehand. We’re starting with Clark County. Depending on how that goes, we may do similar agreements with other counties.”
Safety Expo
The Madison County Emergency Management Agency and area first responders will host a Safety Expo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 29 at the Madison County Fairgrounds in London.
