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Linn County Emergency Management briefs Marion on CERT, storm watch and partnership work
Summary
Linn County Emergency Management updated Marion City Council on staffing changes, CERT training and partnerships that support storm monitoring, shelters and hazardous‑materials planning. Staff emphasized public information roles and local drills that build readiness; council members thanked staff and asked about exercises and data sharing.
Linn County Emergency Management delivered its annual briefing to Marion City Council, highlighting recent staff and program changes and steps intended to tighten local disaster preparedness. Presenter BJ (identified in the agenda as Vijay Dvorak of Linn County Emergency Management) noted a recent personnel change — Pete Brisbine joined as operations readiness officer on Dec. 23, 2024 — and described ongoing coordination with Marion Fire and the Marion Police Department for storm watch, hazardous‑materials planning and emergency operations center activations.
BJ described work to revive and expand the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), noting regular monthly training and recent classes at Fire Station 1 and the Kirkwood facility. He said CERT teams provide initial damage assessment, EOC support and shelter setup until Red Cross staffing is available. “Having public information personnel is crucial during any activation,” BJ said, praising recent public information planning and thanking Amber (city staff) for PIO work.
Council members asked about the scale and frequency of joint exercises and whether recent investments — including a command trailer at the fireworks event and a CERT rodeo held Sept. 27 at Lau Park — are translating into measurable improvements. The county and city presenters said the exercises have increased engagement and identified next steps around training documentation and data entry so joint mutual‑aid and training credits are reflected in assessments.
The presentation closed with an offer to meet with council members and to continue strengthening the city–county relationship that staff described as central to effective disaster response.
