AUGUSTA-RICHMOND COUNTY

LOCAL EMERGENCY PLANNING COMMITTEE

Meeting Minutes

Wednesday August 7, 2002 – 11:00 a.m.

Emergency Management

In attendance: Earl Hilson, Elizabeth Bailey, Bobby Brown, Bill Walls, Earl Smith, Kathy Riley, Buck Griffith, Don Dudley, Randy Barrs, Art Rider, Gary Zgutowicz, David Brown

The Augusta-Richmond County Local Emergency Planning Committee meeting was held on Wednesday August 7, 2002 at 11:00 a.m. The meeting was held at the EMA conference room. The meeting went as follows:

A. CHAIRPERSON:

• Earl Hilson, Chairman called the meeting to order, a quorum was present.
• Review and Approve June meeting minutes.

B. TREASURERS REPORT.

• EXPENDITURE REPORT/ANNUAL FINANCIAL REVIEW: Dave Brown, sitting in as Treasurer gave the members an update on the status of the LEPC account. 18,405.30 includes the $5,800 state grant for Hazmat Preparedness. A motion was made, seconded and unanimously approved to allocate up to $5,000.00 of the $5,800 grant towards training and supplies needed for the Consequence Management Exercise 2002.

C. Item of Focus:

• The Technical Committee met 6/18/02 to establish 24/7availibility of the Emergency Notification System and draft procedures. Annette Brown will coordinate training for the 911 Lieutenants.
• The following recommendations are made:

P(wi‑

1. The EMA Director or his designee (these are Dave Dlugolenski’s responsibility) be available 100% of the time. Training for the 911 "Lieutenants" is therefore to cover ENS program basics (not chemical logic).

2. Companies that are required to develop RMP's need to provide the EMA Director with "24/7 contact numbers" of Company Representatives for input on the use of the ENS and scripted scenarios.

3. Activation authority is the EMA Director's or Incident Commander's, but they need input from a Company Representative. There are few "no brainer" scenarios and the procedures cannot be built assuming each incident can be

handled the same.

4. There are only TWO messages that will be sent out over the ENS for chemical releases ‑ "Shelter‑in‑Place" and "Evacuate". Each will have additional information (tune your radio/television to... and/or turn off your ventilation system... Travel Northeast until etc.). The ENS will always be used in conjunction with Public Broadcasts.

5. The Emergency Notification System (ENS) will not be activated by the "Lieutenants" without the approval of the EMA Director (or his designee) or the incident commander.

6. The Incident Commanders will also need to be trained on the ENS system so that they know the power and limitations of the system.

7. The LEPC Committee will need orientation training ‑ Dave Dlugolenski will arrange a Power Point Presentation during a scheduled LEPC meeting.

8. It is ESSENTIAL, that each company that has “qualifying RMP chemicals”, working in conjunction with the EMA Director, develop different levels of activation for the ENS of “potential scenarios” for releases – up to and including the “Worst Case Scenario.” This should also include a Transportation incident at another location (from the plant site) involving their “qualifying chemical(s).” This could also apply to “hazardous chemicals” being transported in the county.

9. For those incidents that involve other jurisdictional lines (other

counties or South Carolina), Dave Dlugolenski has planned to notify the effected EMA Directors. It will therefore behoove those companies with scenarios that affect other areas, make these plans available to them.

C. OTHER BUSINESS:

· By-Laws Review- Earl Hilson obtained and reviewed LEPC By-Laws from other counties. They are all very similar. Earl and David D. to meet and discuss recommendations.

· There will be a Consequence Management exercise conducted in Richmond County September 21-25. This exercise will be conducted in two phases: Phase I (21-24 Sept) – training. Phase II – Exercise. Phase I training will be conducted by a variety of agencies, i.e. Department of Justice, G.E.M.A., American Red Cross, etc. Some of the possible training to be conducted may include: First Responder, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Mass Casualty Management, Hazmat, Shelter Management, Disaster Mental Health, etc. Training will be open to the public; however priority for selection will be CAER, LEPC, EOC staff, Dive Team, and local industry. Phase II will occur on 25 September. We anticipate participation by eight states from across the Southeast. Federal Agencies such as FEMA and the FBI are also expected to be participants. Register on-line at www.cm02.info

· EMA requested to use up to 5,000 from training grant for September Exercise.

· Air show is scheduled 28-29 September. An additional gate will be open. People will be allowed to arrive earlier. Chief Willie Paulk will be visiting surrounding companies.

The next LEPC meeting will held on October 2, 2002 At the Emergency Management Agency starting at 11:00 a.m..