Scott County commends Georgetown-Scott County EMA for winter-storm response

The Scott County Fiscal Court on Tuesday adopted a proclamation recognizing the Georgetown-Scott County Emergency Management Homeland Security Agency (EMA) for its response to the Jan. 24 winter storm.

Judge Covington read the proclamation and said EMA "coordinated with emergency service agencies and local and county government officials" to prepare for a storm the National Weather Service had forecast as a generational event. The proclamation noted that EMA activated the county's Emergency Operations Center, submitted state resource requests for bottled water and meals-ready-to-eat, and placed generators on standby.

The court's text records that by midnight on Jan. 25 the storm delivered "5.7 inches of snow and a quarter-inch of freezing rain" in Scott County, which required EMA staff to reassess operations and respond to multiple incidents. Candace Whitehouse and other county staff later told the court that county 9-1-1 and emergency personnel handled 54 dispatched incidents over the Sunday–Tuesday response period and often worked 16-hour shifts.

Michael Hemmings, identified as an EMA leader, said the effort "was definitely a team effort," praising staff who performed tasks outside their day-to-day duties.

The proclamation, adopted by the court, commends EMA staff "for their outstanding service, leadership, and commitment to protecting the citizens of Scott County during the January winter weather emergency." The court invited EMA personnel forward for public recognition following the vote.

Why it matters: EMA's activation and resource requests are the formal steps counties use to manage extreme-weather events. The court's recognition documents the county's assessment that coordination and sustained staffing were necessary during and after the storm.

Next steps: The proclamation is a formal recognition only; no additional funding or operational changes were approved as part of the proclamation.