Emergency planning committee to be revived in Polk County

A Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) will be revived in Polk County.

The idea was generated during meetings of first responders who gathered to discuss procedures if a local Ebola case is reported.

EMA Director Randy Lacey said the local LEPC isn’t new since one previously existed in Polk.

“However, it needs to be revived,” he said.

People serving on the LEPC would hold quarterly meetings to keep everyone on the same page, according to Lacey.

He plans to contact Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) regarding guidelines and requirements for launching the program.

Manager Matt Denton, Polk County, asked Lacey to develop a plan that would include all first responders, schools, industries and others that would need to be involved in safety during a crisis situation.

Plans are to schedule a LEPC planning meeting later this month, according to David McElwee, assistant county manager.

Meanwhile, first responders are aware of plans to phase out the current siren warning system and encourage more people to sign up for Polk’s Code-Red.

It is designed to warn county residents of a weather emergency, including thunderstorm, flood or tornado. Polk’s Code-Red is not available in Spanish for the local Hispanic community.

Lacey reviewed the standard operating guidelines for first responders during a recent meeting:

If Polk County had an Ebola positive case, point of contact would be the department with jurisdiction, which would notify Public Health (Malindy Ely) and/or (Randy Lacey) EMA Director to notify state EMS. Transport guidelines would be needed before Fire Department Standard Operating Guidelines (SOG) is activated.

Local fire departments would be fine tuned in accordance with EMS SOG.

E911 has implemented questions to be asked of callers suspected of having Ebola.

Polk Medical Center has packet for possible Ebola cases. Primary question: Has the patient traveled to one of the countries with reported cases of Ebola?

Patient personal contacts would be reviewed and CDC would investigate.

Among those attend- ing the recent meeting were Chief Todd Queen, Rockmart Fire Department; Jill McElwee, Floyd Polk Medical Center; Kattie Trammell, Polk EMA; Beth Byars, Polk 911; Debra Helms, Polk Health Department; Greg Teems, Polk School District; Chief Sammy Stephens, Scott Jackson and Darrel Stephens, all of the Cedartown Fire Department; and Chief Keith Sorrells, Rockmart Police Department.