Henry County emergency management outlines pet-trailer training, CERC rollout and World Cup planning

Assistant emergency management director Jim Sublett briefed the Henry County Commission on recent preparedness work, including training to deploy pet trailers to support displaced families and pets, the launch and recruitment plan for a new CERC (community emergency response team), and outreach efforts tied to large regional events.

Sublett said last week’s training demonstrated how pet trailers could be used in a disaster where families and pets are displaced, and he asked commissioners to note updates to the county’s emergency operations plan (EOP). He also warned commissioners about the potential impact of the World Cup matches in nearby Kansas City, Missouri, this spring and summer and said the county is considering operational effects on staffing and response coverage.

On volunteer recruitment, Sublett said the county is taking applications for a new community emergency response team and expects to hold training sessions in March. He asked for commissioners’ support in publicizing the effort and ensuring volunteers receive scheduled training.

Sublett additionally described work at the warning center in Clinton and an outreach plan to educate residents in southern portions of the county about a pipeline that runs through that area. He urged the commission to treat the pipeline outreach as part of routine citizen education and emergency-notification planning.

Next steps: Sublett asked the commission to continue support for the EOP update, to publicize the CERC applications and to plan for coordination with regional partners during large events. No formal motions or funding decisions for these programs were recorded during his report.

Attribution: briefing content is drawn from Sublett’s on-the-record remarks in the meeting transcript.