Emergency management reports fire response, FEMA survey and 911 tower work in Whitley County

Jerry Raines, Whitley County emergency management director, told the fiscal court on Dec. 5 that March had been a busy month for the department, including response to a multi-unit fire at Brushover Apartments in Williamsburg and assistance for displaced residents.

Raines said he has been coordinating with local fire departments and working on progress for the county 911 tower (generator procurement and installation), and that he attended first-aid, CPR and ALICE intruder-response training. He reported FEMA will be in county to survey storm damage in the Bay Creek / Akins Lane area; Raines said he personally surveyed 22 residences with damage ranging from affected to destroyed and that FEMA’s individual-assistance determinations focus on underinsured or uninsured households. He expected a final determination in two to three weeks after FEMA’s field review.

Raines also noted continuing coordination on recovery for storm-damaged roads and infrastructure; earlier items in the meeting included awarding a FEMA-funded contract for the Mulberry Hollow Bridge project as part of that recovery work.

No public questions were recorded during the emergency-management presentation.