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Emergency management: FEMA approves hazard mitigation plan; dispatch staffing and CAD costs discussed
Summary
Columbia County emergency management staff reported FEMA approval of the hazard mitigation plan, work on the Community Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) and ESFs, a lithium-ion battery class on March 26, and continuing discussions about an expensive CAD replacement and dispatch staffing needs.
County emergency management staff told the Board of Commissioners the county’s Hazard Mitigation Plan was approved by FEMA; staff will assemble required signatures and return forms to FEMA to finalize the approval.
Staff said they are updating the Community Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) and circulated several Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) for review and requested commissioners’ feedback.
Emergency management announced a lithium-ion battery class for March 26 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the pavilion to train responders on hazards associated with electric-vehicle batteries and other lithium-ion incidents. The county will involve the fire department and invited nearby jurisdictions to attend.
On communications, staff reported continuing work to secure a new computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system. A Motorola quote reportedly started around $400,000, which staff said would make local separation financially infeasible; a possible consolidation with Whitman County could reduce the estimated cost to about $200,000. The board discussed tradeoffs and the large capital cost.
Dispatch leadership requested authorization to fill an eighth dispatcher position that already exists in the approved structure and to promote two lead dispatchers (not new positions) to provide shift coverage and reduce reliance on a single supervisor. Staff reported two trainees will complete required state certification in April and that one more dispatcher would bring the center to eight active positions (excluding the emergency manager). Commissioners indicated no additional board action was required if the position exists in the budget and asked staff to coordinate with HR and Christy (HR staff) on classification and posting.
Staff also noted the department underspent its 2024 budget and flagged an internal pay-step oversight for one employee; commissioners directed HR to correct the step increase with appropriate current effective dating and to avoid retroactive raises per the auditor’s guidance.
