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New emergency management manager introduces himself; seeks IPAWS authorization and village outreach
Summary
Rich Gonzales, the jointly funded emergency management manager for the Kodiak region, introduced himself to the borough assembly and described outreach to local media, village public-safety officers, the Coast Guard and state/federal partners; he said he has submitted the IPAWS notification plan so the borough can send emergency alerts directly.
Rich Gonzales, the Kodiak region's new emergency management manager (a position jointly funded by the city of Kodiak and Kodiak Island Borough), introduced himself at the May 8 work session and summarized early work since beginning the role in January.
Gonzales said he has been reactivating local committees, presenting weekly situation reports, engaging the state Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), attending national and state emergency-management conferences and building relationships with local media outlets (KMXT, KVOK and the Kodiak Mirror) to improve public communications in emergencies.
Gonzales said he submitted the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) community plan that would allow the borough to send its own emergency-alert messages. He also reported outreach to village public-safety officers and said he plans more face-to-face visits to rural communities. Gonzales said he has been coordinating with the Coast Guard emergency-management staff and local Coast Guard fire personnel.
Assembly members asked about specific village needs: one member reported a nonworking tsunami siren at Akiak and asked Gonzales to follow up; Gonzales said he would investigate. Other members pressed for continued outreach and training; the manager and Gonzales noted that VPSO (village public-safety officer) training with Texas A&M's TEEX program had been valuable and is expected again this summer.
Ending: Gonzales asked for time to continue relationship-building and the assembly signaled support for expanding local communications and IPAWS capabilities. No formal decisions were made; staff will follow up on the Akiak siren and on scheduling village visits and training coordination.
