Regional Emergency Planning Meeting for Knox and Scotland Counties Set for March 24 in Rutledge

By Echo Menges

RUTLEDGE, Mo. — Representatives from a wide range of public safety agencies and community organizations are expected to attend the Knox and Scotland County Local Emergency Planning District (LEPD) meeting on Tuesday, March 24.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Rutledge Community Center, 23615 Main St., in Rutledge. Food will be served free of charge for those in attendance.

Local Emergency Planning Committees and districts were created under federal law to help communities prepare for hazardous material incidents and other chemical emergencies. The committees bring together representatives from emergency response agencies, local government, businesses and the public to coordinate planning and share information about potential hazards in the community.

According to guidance from the Missouri Emergency Response Commission, the planning district is intended to include representatives from many sectors that may be involved in emergency response or public safety.

Those groups include elected state and local officials, emergency management agencies, fire departments and law enforcement.

Emergency medical services providers and hospitals are also expected to be represented, along with public health officials who may assist during a chemical incident or other public safety emergency.

Environmental representatives and transportation officials are also part of the planning process because hazardous materials are often stored at facilities or transported through communities by road, rail or pipeline.

Businesses and farmers who store or use hazardous chemicals are also included in the planning district. Federal law requires those facilities to report chemical inventories and coordinate with local emergency planners to ensure response plans are in place if an incident occurs.

The district may also include members of the general public, community organizations and representatives from local news media.

Bringing these groups together helps ensure local emergency plans reflect the people and resources that would be involved during a hazardous material incident.

Local emergency planning districts are responsible for reviewing hazardous material response plans each year, identifying facilities that store hazardous chemicals and making certain information available to the public.

The groups must also hold public meetings and provide notice about how residents can access emergency response plans and chemical reporting information.

The March 24 meeting will bring together representatives from Knox and Scotland counties to review planning efforts and coordinate emergency preparedness activities in the region. The meeting will also serve as a reestablishment of emergency planning efforts in Knox and Scotland counties and will include the election of an executive board and planning for an annual tabletop exercise.

The meeting is open to the public.