<p> Lowndes County Emergency Planning Committee</p><p>Minutes from Meeting on September 22, 2004:</p><p>The meeting was held at the Baptist Memorial Hospital and called to order by Ken Dyer, Chairman of LEPC.</p><p>Members Present: Ken Dyer Weyerhaeuser – CPPC Cindy Lawrence EMA Mahlon Geer Baptist Memorial Hospital – Golden Triangle Bill McCord District 3 VFD Rick Graves Columbus Fire Department Mike Gibson Columbus Fire Department Amber Ashy Columbus AFB Susie Andrews Weyerhaeuser - CPPC Sue Lynn Mills Commercial Dispatch Tammy Chamblee MS State Dept of Health Curtis Jernigan MS State Dept of Health Ann Stokes Baptist Memorial Hospital – Golden Triangle Carole Summerall Columbus Fire Department</p><p>6/10 areas represented and noted as quorum for meeting.</p><p>Meeting Program:</p><p>Mahlon Geer facilitated the host program for the meeting. He introduced Bill Lancaster who gave an update on the Baptist Memorial Hospital building project. Occupation of the new 6 story facility will begin in April 2005. The $34.3 MM project is only a portion of $100 MM BMH has invested in the facility since 1993. The new facility will include 5 stories of patient rooms and a Birthing Center (10 labor/delivery rooms, 22 postpartum care rooms, and state of the art nursery/neonatal unit). </p><p>Mr. Geer then gave a summary of recent improvements made at BMH-GT. These included Diagnostic and Therapeutic CAS, a new medical oncologist and two new internal medicine physicians to begin November 1st. </p><p>Later in the meeting, Mr. Geer reported on the WMD status of BMH which included having received a grant for 25 kits of PPE and monies for prophylactic medications. BMH has additional isolation capacity with two new HEPA isolation filtration units. Communication enhancements include a satellite fixed base radio station with MS Dept of Health linkage. New training equipment in the form of a laptop and LCD projector has been purchased. Even though the fixed decon room is out of service, BMH has loaner decon unit. Unit has capability of handling two (2) ambulatory/walking lines and one (1) non-ambulatory/non-walking line. Arrangements and basic training for use of this unit were provided by the Regional Response Team and CAFB. BMH-GT is better prepared than ever before. Reviewed minutes from last meeting held on May 19, 2004. The minutes were accepted with a correction to reflect Mr. Joe Johnson as a Police Department Member, otherwise, correct as written with copies available at the meeting.</p><p>Welcomed Sue Lynn Mills from the Commercial Dispatch. Sue Lynn is replacing Rebecca Ennis who attended LEPC meetings and reported.</p><p>Noted that Dr. Ann Stokes needs to be added to the LEPC mailing list.</p><p>Congratulated Cindy Lawrence - new director of Columbus/Lowndes EMA!</p><p>Reviewed old business with reports on progress:</p><p> Shelter-in-place Information Committee Report - Brochures in both English and Spanish were handouts at the National Preparedness Day event held on 9/11/04. - SIP brochures and other safety information will be handed out by Fire Department personnel at the Leigh Mall Trick-or-Treating to be held on Saturday, October 30th. - Have applied for a grant from MEMA to move forward with the mailout of SIP brochures.  Drills/Exercises Report - Rescheduled tabletop exercise to Nov/Dec 2004 (new fiscal year). - Response to hurricane Ivan will be used for 2004 exercise critique and documentation. - NE Regional Functional Exercise was completed in July 2004 with the after-action report pending. Mahlon Geer will share with the LEPC when the report is received.  CERT Teams - Received $1000 grant. - To be a CERT team member must take a 16-hour class. This class includes disaster response, light search and rescue, first aid, and organizational education. - Ken Dyer discussed the need for including/considering these teams in the Incident Command structure.  Homeland Security Update - Received a 40-foot trailer for response - Trailer is being equipped, applying for another grant to add more equipment needed - Truck and trailer is staged in Columbus - Expecting trailer for Starkville and West Point</p><p>New Business covered in the meeting: None.</p><p>Next Meeting: Wednesday, November 17th, 3 PM at the Fire Training Center located at 1629 Main Street (in old shopping center adjacent to Police Station).</p><p>Meeting was adjourned.</p>