Garner council hears update on emergency operations center; staff cite training, tech and mutual aid

Inspections Director Paul Padgett told the Garner Town Council on Nov. 25 that the town has rebuilt its emergency operations center and is working to move preparedness beyond response into prevention, mitigation and recovery.

"Preparedness is making sure that we are prepared as a community to meet these needs when they occur," Padgett said during a presentation to the work session. He described the EOC as a physical or virtual place where community leaders manage information and resources to support on-scene activities during incidents.

Padgett said the town established a standing EOC committee, assigned roles, and prioritized training. "We've had just shy of 50 of our staff go through the ICS 300 [course]," he said, adding the town hosted week-long ICS training through Wake Tech and a tabletop exercise tailored to Garner. He listed the training sequence the town offers to staff as ICS 100, 200, 300, 700 and 800.

Padgett described recent activations and uses: supporting July 3 and December holiday events, standing up area command on-site during large events, and using the EOC in response to two tropical storms and three winter storms this year. He said Garner uses both physical and virtual EOC configurations and emphasized continuity of operations and thresholds for requesting county or state support.

The presentation highlighted technology and partnerships the town is leveraging: aerial "near map" imagery refreshed multiple times per year, vehicle geotab tracking to identify closest field resources, and Microsoft Teams and SharePoint for internal situational awareness. Padgett urged stronger public-private partnerships and community outreach so organizations such as churches can assist during recovery efforts.

Council members questioned how the EOC would handle non-weather events. Mayor Pro Tem Vance asked whether incidents such as the Jones Sausage Road explosion would fall under EOC operations; Padgett replied that the EOC covers any incident affecting the community and can be stood up for incidents beyond natural hazards. The town's staff also said they met collectively after the recent shooting at WakeMed to weigh whether to activate the EOC.

Councilmember Behringer raised a past lesson about EOC communications (blank TV screens when cable lines were cut) and asked about generator backup across town facilities; Padgett said critical locations such as Town Hall and the police department have generator backup, and additional facilities will be brought online as planned improvements proceed.

Councilmember Dellinger urged proactive outreach to churches and community organizations to prepare recovery-stage assistance and asked about coordination with Wake County and the state for incidents that exceed local capacity. Padgett said Garner coordinates through Wake County when incidents expand beyond the town and will incorporate recovery contact lists and guidance into the town's emergency operations plan.

Padgett closed by saying staff will continue updating the EOC plan, inventorying resources, and expanding community preparedness education and drills. "Just thank you for the continued support," Padgett said. "We appreciate the vision that launched this work."