Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Emergency management recommends holding off on county burn ban; spotter training scheduled
Summary
The county's emergency management director reported training activity tied to the Local Emergency Management Performance Grant, a pair of spotter training sessions in April, and recommended not enacting a countywide burn ban at this time while urging caution for residents who burn.
Andrew, Codington County's emergency management director, told the board on March 25 that several area emergency management personnel were attending required training connected to the Local Emergency Management Performance Grant (LEMPG) and that the office is updating credentialing and asset-management systems.
Andrew said there will be two spotter-training sessions covering the same topics on April 9 at 6 p.m. and April 10 at 1 p.m. at the County Extension Building as part of severe-weather preparedness week; there is no sign-up and no cost to attend.
On outdoor warning systems, Andrew reported he is communicating faults he can see with the Watertown Outdoor Warning Systems to resolve issues before the first test scheduled for April 11. He and staff have met with the regional coordinator about training and completion of the Advanced Professional Series required for LEMPG credentialing; Sherry has finished her series and Andrew has one virtual and one in-person class left. Andrew also assisted in updating a local resource list of private-sector assets that could support disaster response.
When the board reached agenda item 11, Andrew summarized outreach to county fire chiefs and said one chief favored a burn ban, one opposed it and the others were neutral. He recommended keeping the burn-ban item on the agenda but not enacting a ban at this time and urged residents who intend to burn to check forecasts and wind speeds and to keep fires under control, noting county ordinance requires the person responsible for a fire to maintain control. "Recommendation from the Office of Emergency Management is to not enact a burn ban at this time," Andrew told commissioners.
The board agreed to leave the item on the agenda for further consideration and to revisit it next week.
Why it matters: The LEMPG training and spotter sessions help maintain county readiness for severe weather; the decision not to enact a burn ban preserves permitted agricultural and controlled burning while encouraging caution amid dry, windy conditions.
Next steps: The board will continue monitoring fire danger and the warning-system faults and will discuss the burn-ban item again at a future meeting.
