Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Schuylkill County approves EMPG grant and HazMat mutual-aid agreement
Summary
The county approved a $62,657 EMPG award to fund emergency management positions and unanimously approved a hazardous materials mutual‑aid agreement with Dauphin County requiring a PEMA‑certified hazmat team and reimbursement procedures.
Schuylkill County commissioners unanimously approved a Federal Fiscal Year 2025 Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) and a hazardous materials mutual‑aid agreement with Dauphin County during their June 3 work session.
John Blickley, director of Emergency Management Services, told the board the EMPG is for $62,657 and is intended to cover salaries and benefits for approved emergency management positions. The board voted to immediately accept the grant after Commissioner Barron Hetherington moved and Commissioner Gary Hess seconded the motion; Commissioners Larry Padora, Hetherington and Hess recorded “yes” on the roll call.
Blickley also requested approval of a Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Agreement with Dauphin County, as required by the Hazardous Materials Emergency Planning and Response Act (Act #1990‑165). The agreement requires Schuylkill County to designate a Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA)‑certified HAZMAT team. Under the terms discussed, Schuylkill County will facilitate reimbursement of response costs by the responsible party; if no responsible party is identifiable or responsive, the county will reimburse Dauphin County from the county’s HazMat fund. The board approved that agreement with the same unanimous roll call.
Both approvals were recorded as immediate and unanimous (3–0). The decisions adopt grant funding and an intercounty response framework; the county’s next administrative steps include any required certification or designation of a local HAZMAT team and executing the Dauphin County agreement.
