Emergency planning committee elects officers for 2008

TELL CITY - The Perry County Local Emergency Planning Committee elected officers and discussed plans at a meeting Monday for a disaster-recovery exercise later this year. The LEPC meets quarterly. Among its duties is maintaining a registry of potentially hazardous chemicals in the county and planning for emergencies such as tornadoes, collisions, chemical spills and terrorist attacks.

Tell City Electric Department employee Mack Cail was re-elected chairman for 2008, with Tell City Police Department detective Alan Malone named vice chairman. Perry County Emergency Management Agency employee Sandy Jarboe will serve as information coordinator. Bruce Chinn, assistant to the superintendent and transportation director for Tell City-Troy Township Schools, will serve as planning coordinator.

County EMA Director Steve Hauser will return to his post of community-emergency coordinator. Perry County News Editor Vince Luecke will be the committee's secretary.

Committee members represent local government, law enforcement, emergency management, fire departments, emergency medical services, industry, Perry County Memorial Hospital and media.

The committee plans to host a live disaster drill, likely at an area school, in the near future to gauge the community's ability to respond to a damaging tornado. Community representatives discussed last October the steps needed if a powerful storm hit Tell City. Volunteers will need treatment of simulated injuries or transportation to the hospital, with others needing evacuation from storm-hit areas.