Emergency management director outlines county readiness, FEMA requests and hazmat coverage

Brandon gave a broad overview of Vernon County emergency management, describing the statutory and federal authorities that guide the office and recent work to update continuity plans and exercise them with department heads. He said the county follows federal frameworks including the Robert T. Stafford Act and state statute 3.23 and described local emergency planning commission (LEPC) responsibilities and off-site facility planning for hazardous materials. "We have currently 27 members," Brandon said of the hazmat team, noting the membership draws from fire departments in Vernon and adjoining counties.

Brandon described recent recovery and preparedness efforts after the Westby hailstorm, including FEMA damage assessments and submissions for both public assistance and individual assistance. He noted the county had applied for FY25 federal grant funding and said reimbursement checks are in process. On mass notification, Brandon said the county implemented Everbridge and has about 26,000 records brought in from open-source data while roughly 600 people have opted in directly; he also previewed an internal Safety Connect add-on for staff. "We're on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year," Brandon said, summarizing the operational posture. The board asked about outreach and website placement for Everbridge sign-up and about the storage facility location for emergency equipment, which Brandon located near the county salt shed and town shop on Railroad Avenue.