Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Management Audit topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Audit committee opens comprehensive emergency management audit; fieldwork to include interviews and site visits
Summary
Audit staff told the Clarke County Audit Committee that a comprehensive emergency management audit has begun fieldwork, including site visits to fire station No. 9, equipment inspections and extensive interviews across departments; auditors plan several months of work and coordination with GEMA and FEMA.
The Clarke County Audit Committee heard an update that a comprehensive audit of the county’s emergency management program is underway and that fieldwork has begun.
Judy, who is leading the emergency management audit, told the committee the review is timely given January weather events and will focus on interviews and documentation across many departments. "We will spend some time there. We will go see where some equipment is stored, generators, the real time crime center," Judy said, describing planned site visits to the emergency management coordinator’s office at Fire Station No. 9.
Judy said the audit team will interview staff across at least 10 departments—including fire, leisure services, communications, transportation/public works and police—and will examine plans and public‑engagement procedures. She added that the audit will examine how the county coordinates with state and federal partners: "That is going to be a big part of our research ... coordinating with GEMA and FEMA on that."
Audit staff estimated fieldwork and research will extend through much of the fiscal year, with interviews beginning the following week and an expected four to five months of work given the audit’s complexity.
Committee members noted the county has only had a dedicated emergency management program for a few years and said the audit’s findings will help fill gaps and inform preparations for future weather events and other contingencies. The audit team said its work is comprehensive and will include operational and public‑communication elements.
The committee asked that audit staff continue to update them as fieldwork progresses and requested the audit team provide interim findings when available.
