Published: June 04, 2009 08:54 am      

Officials seek public input on emergency reaction plan

Lebanon — A plan that outlines how Boone County agencies will respond to natural and man-made disasters is being updated, and public comment is sought by local officials.

A public information and planning session will be 6:30 p.m. June 11 in the Connie Lamar Room at the Boone County Annex, 116 W. Washington St., Lebanon.

For several months, the Boone County Hazard Mitigation Steering Committee and The Polis Center at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis have been drafting the plan, said Mike Martin, Boone County Emergency Management Agency director.

First, the steering committee determined the likely threats, including: Floods, tornadoes, thunderstorms, high winds and hail, hazardous materials releases, drought and extreme heat, earthquakes, and severe winter storms.

Using the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s HAZUS-MH software, the steering committee and the Polis Center modeled how those threats could affect Boone County.

A risk assessment program, HAZUS-MH uses GIS technology to predict probable impact of disasters, Martin said.

Reaction plans for each anticipated type of disaster were drafted at a March 25 meeting, Martin said. Now public comment on those plans is being sought.

FEMA requires units of government at local, county and state levels to have a Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, Martin said.

Storm shelters, warning sirens, flood walls and enhanced fire protection are some of the needs identified by other communities in developing the plan, Martin said.

For more information, contact Martin at the Boone County EMA, (765) 483-4428.