Fire chiefs from across Globe-Miami and Gila County; police and the Gila County Sheriff’s Office staff, media and volunteers will assemble Aug. 26 at 10 a.m. for the quarterly meeting of Gila County’s Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), and if you haven’t attended one - here’s an invitation to join.
Quarterly meetings used to be in-person, but have moved online -- appropriately, considering the ongoing state of emergency brought by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Connect with organizers through Gila County Health and Emergency Management’s page on Facebook -- like and follow for public health alerts and emergency planning tips and information, too: facebook.com/gilacohealthem/
The LEPC meets quarterly, providing a forum for emergency management, local responders, industry and the public to work together to evaluate, understand, train, coordinate and communicate chemical hazards in the community and develop hazmat emergency plans, which provide information about chemicals in the community to citizens, government agencies and emergency responders.
The LEPC’s initial task was to develop emergency plans to prepare for and respond to chemical emergencies. The EPA’s list of extremely hazardous substances provided a focus for setting priorities in the planning effort. These plans must be reviewed annually and updated. Because the LEPC’s members represent the community, they should be familiar with factors that affect public safety, the environment, and the economy of the community. This expertise will be essential as the LEPC develops plans tailored to the needs of its planning district.