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Sedgwick County adopts updated emergency operations plan; commissioners urge city coordination
Summary
The Sedgwick County Commission on Dec. 3 unanimously adopted an updated Local Emergency Operations Plan that reduces length, adds 'expanding incidents' guidance and emphasizes recovery coordination; commissioners discussed helping smaller cities build recovery capacity.
Julie Stimpson, director of Sedgwick County Emergency Management, asked the Board of County Commissioners to adopt the county’s updated Local Emergency Operations Plan (LEOP) and summarized the changes the office is seeking to formalize.
"Today, I'm asking for the adoption of the resolution to adopt the Sedgwick County local emergency operations plan," Stimpson said, noting the plan complies with Kansas KAR 56-2 and KSA 48-9-29 and aligns with the National Incident Management System.
The LEOP consolidates a base plan and 15 emergency support function annexes and trims material the office judged redundant; Stimpson said the document was reduced from nearly 400 pages to about 180. She said the update adds guidance for "expanding incidents"—events that grow in complexity, size or resource needs—and clarifies differences between normal operations and declared-disaster response. The county will bring a separate, long-term recovery plan to the commission next year, Stimpson said, and staff are finishing annexes on extreme temperatures and an active-shooter response.
Commissioner Meister praised frontline response but emphasized recovery challenges, especially debris removal and housing, and urged the county to work with cities that lack disaster managers. "We never need you until we need you," he said, calling for county support or liaison roles and engagement through SCAC (the county association) and other partners. Stimpson said the emergency management office will pursue coordination and is working with Wichita State University on community engagement projects.
An unidentified commissioner moved to adopt the resolution; the motion was seconded. A roll-call vote recorded unanimous "aye" votes from Commissioners Bluebaugh, Wise, Howe, Meitzner and Chairman Beatty. Stimpson thanked the commission for its support.
The adoption formalizes the county's operational framework for preparing for, responding to and recovering from disasters; Stimpson noted the five-year review cycle and that the last adopted plan (after COVID-related extensions) required a shortened interval this time. The commission directed staff to continue outreach to municipal partners and to return with the separate long-term recovery plan next year.
