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Emergency Preparedness Focus of Commissioner Balya's Mayors' Forum
Posted 8-7-07
The latest in a series of forums for Westmoreland County's
mayors, hosted by County Commissioner Tom Balya, educated local
leaders on emergency preparedness and disaster recovery.
The mayors' forum was held Saturday, August 4,
in Mount Pleasant, and hosted by Borough Mayor Gerald Lucia.
"One of the most pressing issues for local
mayors and council members is how to deal with emergency
situations that often are beyond the regular means of local
government," Commissioner Balya said. "Working through our
county's Public Safety Department I have made emergency
readiness and recovery one of my goals as commissioner – not
just at the county level, but helping at the local level as
well. It is important that municipalities have emergency plans
in place, and the county has the tools and expertise to help
accomplish that."
Emergency management is comprised of two
elements -- mitigation (prevention to minimize damage) and
recovery. The federal government now mandates a Hazardous
Mitigation Plan. Once this plan is accepted by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), it increases access to
federal grant funds should a disaster occur. This documentation
must be in place to assure federal help if a disaster happens.
All municipalities are urged to identify potential hazards,
particularly flood-prone areas, to the county's Department of
Public Safety at 724-600-7300.
Local emergency managers, working with the
county, play a key role in the recovery phase. Documentation of
any disaster by a damage assessment team is vital in enabling a
Federal Disaster Declaration. Westmoreland County hosts
emergency management meetings bi-monthly to help facilitate
preparedness and recovery.
"Constant dialogue is the key to successful
emergency planning, and we will continue to make sure we are
talking with local governments to make sure we are all best
prepared," Balya said.
Other items of business discussed at
Commissioner Balya’s Mayors' Forum included the county's recent
state certification as "Storm Ready", the county's successful
"Urban Thunder" disaster drill in 2006, and the county's
Pandemic Flu Plan that is used as a model throughout the state.
Since 1996, Commissioner Balya has sponsored
regular mayors' forums at various locations throughout
Westmoreland County to meet with local leaders to discuss shared
goals and solutions to government challenges. |
