Athens-Clarke County EMA emphasizes community engagement while building emergency management program

Meredith Barnum, the Emergency Management Agency coordinator for Athens-Clarke County, said the office is building the county's emergency management program from the ground up and will prioritize community engagement and clear public communication. "My role in a c c gov is to basically build and shape the emergency management program for the county," Barnum said.

Barnum described the program's scope as covering planning, education and logistical support for both man-made incidents such as chemical fires and natural disasters such as hurricanes. "That means I'm doing everything from planning to education to all the logistical support required for planning and recovery from any kind of disaster," she said.

The coordinator said her immediate goal is to involve first responders as needed while concentrating EMA's work on preparing and informing the broader community. "My goal for emergency management for Athens Clarke County is not only to involve all of our first responders because they know what they're doing," Barnum said. "But my goal is to focus on the community aspect of emergency management and make sure that our community feels safe and prepared for disasters." She added that the biggest threshold in disasters is communicating to the public and that EMA wants to maintain open lines of communication.

Barnum encouraged members of the community to contact EMA for assistance. "And also just remember that EMA is here. We're here to serve the community. And if there's any component of the community that needs assistance, then we encourage you to reach out," she said.

The remarks were presentation-style and did not include formal motions, votes, or specific funding figures. No additional departmental directives or deadlines were announced during the remarks.