Tazewell County highlights volunteer emergency-management program, proclaims August Emergency Management Awareness Month

Tazewell County emergency-management staff outlined the agency’s core functions and volunteer response teams during a county board meeting and presented a proclamation recognizing August 2025 as Emergency Management Awareness Month.

The proclamation, included in the meeting packet, urges appreciation for emergency managers and aligns the county’s observance with National Preparedness Month in September. The board considered the proclamation as part of communications from elected and appointed officials.

Dawn Cook, who presented on behalf of Tazewell County Emergency Management, described everyday operations, planning responsibilities and how the office supports response and long-term recovery. “We do planning and preparedness activities. That’s a lot of what we do kind of every day,” Cook said.

Cook said the emergency management office is a small staff: one full-time employee, two part-time employees and a volunteer corps organized into teams. “We have 50…