On Tuesday, Oct. 16, the Lincoln County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) met. These meetings, held every three months, consist of first responders collaborating over new information, the retrieval of grants, and the announcement of upcoming trainings and simulations.
During the meeting, a presentation was given on the Utah-Nevada pipeline, discussing some small changes to the HAZMAT response that the county currently uses due to the sensitivity of the pipeline. While the pipeline barely passes through the northeasternmost corner of the county, the emergency responders of Lincoln needed such information in order to know how to best respond to any unlikely issues.
Next, the board’s attention turned to the grants committee, which reported that it recently acquired new computers and is still waiting on new hoses and controllers for the new lift bags. While the controllers from the old lift bags will suffice in an emergency, members of the group cautioned that there are not enough hoses, and that acquiring more should be a priority.
During the open discussion section of the meeting, it was reported that the hospital in Caliente will be doing an evacuation/earthquake drill Thursday, Oct. 18, and a HAZMAT drill will be held the same day in Alamo at 11 a.m. This drill will follow a “could happen” type of scenario, which means that the parameters for the simulation will be realistic to the community.
Emergency responders were invited to a state fire convention in Reno.
Finally, an announcement was made about a well-paid statics analyst position opening up on the state level. Qualified individuals were encouraged to apply.
With that, the brief meeting was called to a close. The next meeting will be in Jan. 2019.
