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Columbus emergency management outlines siren upgrades, shelter generators and asks council to consider permanent logistics facility
Summary
Emergency management director Greg Corbett briefed the council on siren modernization, mass‑notification tools, grant-funded generators for four shelters and a mobile command vehicle; he asked the council to consider funding a long‑term logistical facility to house equipment and disaster supplies.
Greg Corbett, director of Columbus emergency management and homeland security, told the council July 14 that the department uses an “all‑hazards” approach to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters affecting the city and surrounding counties.
Corbett described the department’s capabilities and partnerships, including Fort Benning and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, and said the office runs public‑facing training and outreach such as CERT classes and an emergency smartphone app. “We have 47 sirens in Columbus,” Corbett said, explaining the outdoor warning system and its polygon‑activation capability that limits siren activations to affected areas.
Corbett outlined recent and planned grant purchases — from generators for emergency shelters to a public‑safety robot and equipment for the mobile command vehicle — and urged residents to use the department app and the city’s mass‑notification tools. He said the department also revived its CERT training, active‑shooter response classes and a drone program used to assist first responders.
On staffing and facilities, Corbett described a small emergency management office (three employees, plus one CSP student and summer youth interns) and asked the council to consider more investment. He said his top capital need is a dedicated logistical facility to house and maintain the department’s mobile command vehicle and to store disaster supplies such as food, water, tarps and temporary roofing materials. “It’s gonna be millions, a couple millions of dollars to get something like this,” he said, adding that the expense would better support long‑term preparedness and day‑to‑day maintenance of equipment.
Corbett also highlighted training and exercise requirements under state law and GEMA, including maintaining a local emergency planning committee and conducting regular exercises. He said the office has applied for hazard mitigation and other grants and has a storm‑ready designation that requires regular updating of emergency plans.
Council members thanked Corbett for the briefing and signaled support for follow‑up on grant opportunities and a discussion of the long‑term facility request. The director invited any council member or resident who wants a tour of the emergency operations center to arrange a visit with his office.
What’s next: Councilors indicated they will review grant options and referrals from the city manager for budget planning; any capital request would enter the budget process.
