Franklin County leaders praise emergency response after ice storm; county receives $1.2 million state payment for Highway 50 work

Franklin County commissioners on Jan. 8 credited emergency crews and public works for responding to an unprecedented ice event and said the county received a $1,200,000 payment from the state to cover work on four miles of U.S. Highway 50.

County Administrator Derek (last name not specified) opened the staff reports by calling the storm response “about as clean an operation as I’ve seen in my time here,” and singled out dispatchers, ambulance crews and public works for their work during the event.

The county’s emergency-management lead, Tom (last name not specified), and ambulance operations manager Christie (last name not specified) described sustained, multi-day operations. Christie said the ambulance service staffed a fourth ambulance during the peak of the event and reported 31 calls for service over Saturday and Sunday, including seven fall calls, 17 medical calls, two structure fires and one motor vehicle accident; she said one transfer attempt was halted after an ambulance slid off the road but no injuries were reported. Tom and Christie both praised coordination with neighboring districts and county dispatch.

Public Works Director Jeff (last name not specified) told commissioners crews began Saturday at 6 a.m. and some operators worked up to 72 hours in shifts. He said all secondary roads, including dead ends, were opened and that the department did not lose any major equipment during the event. Jeff also reported that the county had received a state reimbursement check for $1,200,000 related to four miles of work on U.S. Highway 50 and thanked county staff who handled the financial submission.

County leaders said they are exploring whether the event will meet state thresholds for public assistance but expressed uncertainty. Tom warned there are “big questions” about whether the county will qualify for state or federal public-assistance reimbursement and said he does not expect the county to meet its threshold, meaning the county may have to absorb some costs.

Commissioners and staff also used the meeting to recognize sustained staff effort during the storm and to thank individual employees, including longtime blade operators and other field crews. Commissioners noted the event required close coordination with city partners, ambulance districts and neighboring counties.

Looking ahead, county staff asked commissioners to consider retreat dates (March 20–21) and signaled additional department-specific debriefs and reports to follow.