Johnson County activated its Emergency Operations Center and opened a resource center May 8 at New Century Field House after Aspen Place Apartments in Gardner were declared unfit for habitation earlier in the week. County emergency-management and health staff said they coordinated the response with the city of Gardner, Salvation Army, American Red Cross and local faith-based organizations to meet immediate needs and arrange sheltering.

County Emergency Management Division Director Dan Robison told the board the site had been declared unfit for habitation and that county departments and community partners quickly organized a coordinated response. Charlie Hunt, director of Health and Environment, said the county deployed a rapid needs-assessment survey through NotifyJoCo and by on-site staff to identify how many households would need shelter, medical support, medication access and help with pets. Hunt said a resource center was staffed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and would continue through the next day to register residents and link them to services.

Hunt and Robison said the Salvation Army agreed to open an emergency shelter in Olathe, and the county and American Red Cross coordinated supplies, cots and transportation. County staff arranged drinking-water deliveries for residents where water service had been disrupted and ran twice-daily Incident Command System (ICS) coordination meetings to align county and community action. Residents were directed to the resource center to be screened and linked to shelter and services; county staff and community volunteers also ran on-site meetings organized by neighborhood churches to share information.

Commissioner Allen Brand, whose district includes Gardner, praised the rapid cross-sector response and said the city, county and nonprofit partners had worked through difficult logistics to provide shelter, transportation and other supports. Brand said county staff were also advising residents about legal and tenant-rights protections and working to prevent predatory or confusing solicitations in the chaotic aftermath. Board members asked staff to continue reporting on needs and next steps, including longer-term housing solutions and whether property owners were participating in mitigation and rehousing plans.

County staff described the situation as evolving. They said the response included: a rapid needs-assessment survey distributed via NotifyJoCo and in person; a staffed resource center at New Century Field House open 7 a.m.–7 p.m.; an emergency shelter operated by Salvation Army in Olathe; water deliveries and distribution; coordination with Gardner municipal officials; twice-daily county ICS meetings; and outreach for medical and pet needs. Commissioner Allen Brand told the board the displacement affected hundreds of residents and commended community volunteers and agencies for immediate relief work. Staff said they would continue to update the board as the response and recovery needs are clearer.