Emergency Management

Emergency Management programs provided the following revenue for wages, disaster relief, emergency preparedness planning, equipment purchase, etc.:

· 1998 $911,641.

· 1999 $ 24,621.

· 2000 $125,163.

· 2001 $372,634.

This segment of the department is divided into two primary service areas by federal grants.

The first is Emergency Planning Grant (EMPG). Planning, response, recovery and mitigation activities for natural and man made disasters are maintained under this program. In events such as the straight line wind storm of 1998, flood water run off damage of 2000 and storm damage of 2001, state and federal assistance is requested and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides assistance to public entities and/or to individuals through several programs. Grant funding is also available for partial support of wages for the federally mandated activities of the county emergency program manager.

The second service area falls under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986. The program is also referred to as SARA Title III and is designed to bring industry, government and the general public together to address emergency preparedness for accidental chemical releases.

The EPCRA Program requires Jackson County communities to prepare for hazardous chemical releases through emergency planning. This plan provides essential information for emergency responders and creates a database of hazardous chemical storage information for the community. The community right-to-know aspect increases public awareness of chemical hazards in their community and allows the public and local governments to obtain information about these chemical hazards.

The federally required Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) is tasked to oversee the EPCRA Program in Jackson County. It consists of representatives from a cross-section of local businesses, media, emergency responders and the general public.

Other Programs:

Under the two major program headings above, there are various other programs such as:

· Hazardous Materials Emergency Planning (HMEP) grant

In 2002 the grant helps support a study supervised by LEPC and conducted by the county hazardous materials team, law enforcement, Ho-Chunk security and emergency management. The grant program is designed to determine the type and quantity of extremely hazardous chemicals transported through our area.

· Computer and Hazardous Materials grant

The Black River Falls Hazardous Materials level "B" team and a fourth year rotation for purchase of Emergency Management office computer equipment is partially supported by this 80/20% federal grant.

· Counter-Terrorism grants

Recent events proved the need for anti-terrorist equipment and further development of existing counter-terrorist plans. Through this program funds are passed through to eligible area emergency response organizations.