Texas County Emergency Management will conduct its annual review of its Local Emergency Operations Plan (LEOP) at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Texas County Justice Center. The examination is a requirement to ensure the current plan is up-to-date and to identify any new changes that may need to be added.
“In the past, only the county, city emergency management directors and county commissioners were the only ones involved. This year, we are extending an invitation to all stakeholders of the plan to attend and become involved in the process,” said Robert Ellsworth, county emergency management director. “Anyone who would play a role in emergency preparedness, response and recovery can have a stake in the plan. The burden of disaster management, and the resources to deal with it, requires a partnership among all levels of government, the private/business sector, voluntary organizations and the general public/community.
Ellsworth said the county emergency management office responds to two types of disasters — natural and manmade. Natural disasters are major snow and/or ice storms, floods, tornadoes and/or severe weather, as well as the threat of a serious earthquake along Missouri’s New Madrid Fault. Manmade disasters may include hazardous material incidents.
The Texas County Office of Emergency Management is also responsible for a county emergency operations plan, which coordinates the actions of Texas County local government departments and agencies in the event of any emergency requiring use of resources and personnel.
“All incorporated cities are required to maintain their own plan but because of the rural nature of our county, the cities ‘piggy-back’ off the county’s plan,” Ellsworth said. “This is why it is important for this annual review.”