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JUNE 2008 Storms Devastate Central and Southern Indiana

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JUNE 2008 Storms Devastate Central and Southern Indiana Volume 4, Issue 6 JUNE 2008 Storms Devastate Central and Southern Indiana By Michael Benning When the Coast Guard is necessary for Safeguarding recovery and evacuation assistance in the Hoosiers by relatively land-locked Midwest United Hoosiers by States, the situation is quite serious. Along Planning, with Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin, Indiana received Preparing and its share of thunderstorms and flooding soon after tornadoes ripped through the Responding state. When a disaster of this magnitude approaches with such speed and intensity, the coordination of state department response efforts is tested. experienced over 10 inches of rainfall in a fairly short amount of time. This large Starting in the late hours of Friday, June 6th, volume of water, combined with the already Inside this issue: several lines of severe thunderstorms saturated ground from storms earlier in the crashed across Indiana. The storms mostly Governor Daniels Makes 2 week, created dangerous conditions for Stop at IDHS Town Hall subsided by Saturday afternoon. Some Meeting areas of southern and central Indiana (Continued on page 8) Smoke Alarms—Why, 2 Where and Which? Indiana Code and Statute 2 Corner From the Director’s Chair EMA Spotlight— 3 Washington County Only a few weeks have emergency management mitigation and passed since the flooding personnel, members of the recovery effort. What is IC 5-2-4 3 which swept across the Indiana Department of This is an Mobile Training Facility 4 state. Recovery efforts are Homeland Security and its example of Employee Spotlight—David 4 still going strong, and supporting departments, the teamwork in its Barrabee evaluations for current situation is one of purest form. reconstruction are repair and hope, not of Employee Spotlight—Eric 5 Even more impressive was Gentry continuing. It is too early, chaos and regret. and naïve, to say that we the performance of Indiana’s Employee Spotlight— 5 have seen the last of the As the Midwest begins to emergency response Andrea Kinder storms; for now, however, rebuild in the wake of these agencies following the One Care Street Deadline 5 there is finally a chance to disasters, Indiana is a clear tornadoes of only weeks Approaches take a guarded breath. leader on how to operate in a before. Had these incidents Employee Spotlight—Gerri 7 While still remaining vigilant time of crisis. One aspect not been handled in a Husband to other security and weather that truly shines in this decisive manner, it is Bradley Honored with 7 issues, now is a time to look situation is the level of unimaginable what the ACEC Award back at how the success in preparation and training that impact could have been many have undertaken with added because of the Employee Spotlight—Bill 7 this disaster was Arend accomplished. Due to such fervor and flooding. This is a clear everyone’s hard work, long commitment. The example of good planning Employee Spotlight— 8 coordination between the and effective response. No Rosemary Petersen hours, and selflessness of our local responders, county state EOC and those in the (Continued on page 4) New IDHS Employees 9 field was vital to the damage Page 2 Hoosier Responder Governor Daniels Makes Stop at IDHS Town Hall Meeting Indiana Department of Homeland explaining IDHS employees did a Security (IDHS) staff met for the second superb job. town hall meeting of 2008 in June. Introductions of new employees were “I can tell you, in a good way, you’re made and retired employees were making FEMA better. You showed them recognized. what Hoosier clock speed is,” said done, what worked, what didn’t work, Daniels. etc. Governor Mitch Daniels interrupted the meeting to express his thanks and Governor Daniels spoke of how when Governor Daniels concluded by stating appreciation for IDHS employees FEMA’s administration left, they said, again, how deeply proud he is of IDHS stating, “I’m here because I’m your “now that’s the way it should be done.” employees and expressed his biggest fan! I’m here to bring you appreciation for the difference made in thanks and thanks for thousands of He also stressed the importance of so many Hoosier lives. “Because of you people across Indiana.” helping every Hoosier who had losses we have suffered less than we would in every way possible. He urged IDHS have,” he said. “It was a heck of a He said it is what our fellow citizens employees to begin making a list performance. I urge you to extend that starting with what else we should have should expect from State Government (Continued on page 6) Smoke Alarms - Why, Indiana Code Where and Which and Statute A smoke alarm is critical for the early detection of a fire in your home and Corner could mean the difference between life and death. Fires can occur in a IC 10-14-3-28 variety of ways and in any room of Appropriations; emergency your home. But no matter where or management contingency fund how, having a smoke alarm is the first key step toward your family’s Sec. 28 (a) The general assembly may safety. appropriate the sums necessary to administer this chapter. Why are Smoke Alarms Important? (b) The emergency management Every year in the United States, contingency fund is established. The about 3,000 people die in residential fund consists of money appropriated by fires. In a fire, smoke and deadly the general assembly. Money in the fund allows a family the precious but gases tend to spread farther and must be held in reserve and allocated limited time it takes to escape. for emergency management purposes faster than heat. That's one reason upon: why most fire victims die from About two-thirds of home fire deaths inhalation of smoke and toxic gases, occur in homes with no smoke (1) recommendation of the director; not as a result of burns. A majority of alarms or no working smoke alarms. and fatal fires happen when families are Properly installed and maintained (2) Approval of the governor and asleep because occupants are smoke alarms are considered to be the budget committee. unaware of the fire until there is not one of the best and least expensive adequate time to escape. A smoke means of providing an early warning As added by P.L.2-2003, alarm stands guard around the clock of a potentially deadly fire and could SEC.5. and, when it first senses smoke, it (Continued on page 9) sounds a shrill alarm. This often Volume 4, Issue 6 Page 3 EMA Spotlight Washington County Christy Vernon is the Emergency System compliant Management Agency Director for Washington County. Vernon is following • To make Washington County a safe in the footsteps of her grandmother, community Madge Lyles, who is now the Deputy Director and served previously as the • Washington County EMA Progress: Emergency Management Director for 10 years. Vernon has been serving Utilized Homeland Security Grant funds Washington County for 6 years in this to: position. She is also an active Local Christy Vernon, Director • Purchase county wide 800 mhz Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) Washington County EMA member for 7 years and served as the radios for each first responding agency #99 Public Square, Suite 4 LEPC secretary for 2 years. Vernon’s Salem, IN 47167 goals as EMA director include: • Purchase updated equipment for (812) 883-7523 local fire departments and law [email protected] • Organizing the Emergency enforcement Management Agency • Purchase a Mass Casualty Trailer/ counties in District 8 • To ensure the first responder Patient Care Equipment to be departments of Washington County • Purchase laptop computers for first utilized in case of a disaster for all are National Incident Management responding agencies What is IC 5-2-4? In helping to maintain its goal of a secure "Criminal intelligence information" is unless such Indiana, the Indiana Intelligence Fusion defined as information on identifiable information directly Center strives for mission individuals compiled in an effort to relates to an accomplishment by thorough and anticipate, prevent or monitor possible investigation of past or complete investigations. To ensure that criminal activity, including terrorist threatened criminal acts or activities and the privacy and constitutional rights of activity. "Criminal intelligence there are reasonable grounds to suspect individuals are protected, the IIFC is information" does not include criminal the subject of the information is or may governed by federal and state investigative information which is be involved in criminal acts or activities. regulations. In this article, IC 5-2-4 will information on identifiable individuals be discussed. compiled in the course of the Criminal intelligence information is investigation of specific criminal acts. considered confidential and will be Indiana Code Title 5, Article 2, Chapter 4, disseminated only in accordance with is the governing law passed by the Criminal intelligence information Title 5, Article 2, Chapter 4 and on an Indiana General Assembly regarding obtained by the IIFC is under the review established confidential, need-to-know Criminal Intelligence Information for of the executive director of the Fusion basis. This chapter allows the IIFC to state law enforcement agencies that are Center, who at regular intervals will release intelligence information to others associated with federally funded multi- determine whether the grounds for outside of the criminal justice arena, only jurisdictional criminal intelligence retaining the information still exist and if when necessary to avoid imminent systems. This law specifically provides not, said information shall be destroyed. danger to life or property. Unlawful guidance in the areas of: relevancy and release of criminal intelligence restriction of criminal activity; retention The IIFC is not allowed to collect or constitutes a Class A misdemeanor and destruction of information deemed maintain information about the political, offense, punishable up to 1 year in jail non retainable; restriction of collecting religious or social views, associations or and a $5,000 fine.
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