Starke County has been recognized as showing the greatest improvement in the EMA Office in the state. EMA Director, Ted Bombagetti, received the award in Indianapolis recently.
“All of the Directors of the EMAs throughout the state work off the state’s rating system where we do specific projects for our county, classroom participation and a host of other items,” said Bombagetti. “We get a report card on it at the end of the year and fortunately, my department was able to score enough points and we received an award from the state for the most improved county.”
Bombagetti recognized his staff when presenting the award to the commissioners Monday night.
“EMA is not a one person operation. I have Mary Lynn Ritchie who takes care of all my paperwork and keeps me on the straight and narrow; my EMA Board of Directors, they keep me honest and keep me within my guidelines; and it eventually comes down to the Commissioners for hiring me.”
Bombagetti was asked what he has been most pleased with over the past year.
“We identified a critical need, as far as auxiliary powered generators,” he replied. “I received two small ten watt generators for use with small projects. I have a 35 foot light tower now that gives enough light for seven acres and I recently got a 150 kilowatt generator which is enough to get by in the event of an emergency.”
