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County emergency management urges severe-weather preparedness, reports FEMA request shortfall
Summary
County emergency management highlighted Severe Weather Preparedness Week, a statewide tornado drill, an upcoming National Weather Service presentation, and reported that statewide costs fell short of the threshold for a federal disaster declaration; the office also described grant activity and other program updates.
County emergency management staff briefed the Board of County Commissioners on March 3 about severe-weather preparedness, grant applications and regional emergency planning.
A county official (Lori) said the week is Severe Weather Preparedness Week in Kansas and urged residents to create a shelter plan, assemble a 72-hour kit and sign up for Everbridge emergency notifications at RileyCountyks.gov. She said the statewide tornado drill is scheduled for Wednesday, March 5 at 10 a.m., when county outdoor sirens and Everbridge alerts will be used for the test. The presenter also promoted a National Weather Service storm-spotter presentation scheduled for the following Monday at 7 p.m.
Russell Sikhi, who identified himself as representing emergency management, fire and 911, gave a broader operations and grant update. Sikhi said the county and other local jurisdictions submitted expenses from a recent severe winter storm but, after the state narrowed expenses to qualifying 48-hour windows, the state as a whole did not meet the threshold for a federal disaster declaration. Sikhi said the county's submissions fell about $30,000 short of the minimum needed in the aggregate statewide submission and thus FEMA would not receive a presidential-declaration request based on this event.
Sikhi updated the commission on other emergency management items: the county solicited letters of support for a community wildland wildfire defense grant (six letters received so far, including from the county, K-State administration and Senator Jerry Moran); the county received approval for a hazardous materials emergency preparedness grant to fund a regional commodity flow study; two of four recently purchased fire trucks are in service; Station 110 concrete work is complete and building erection is expected to begin soon; and the county continues recruitment of volunteer firefighters. He also introduced Robert Cox, a planner rejoining county staff after working at the Kansas Division of Emergency Management.
Sikhi said an event-permitting application for a concert at a state park remains under review by Kansas Wildlife and Parks and the Corps of Engineers, with the applicant asked to respond to questions by March 15.
No formal action was taken on these items; the presentations were informational and commissioners asked few questions on the record.
