The Starke County EMA Advisory Council brought forth a recommendation for a candidate to the commissioners this week to fill the position of EMA director.
Continue readingStarke County Commissioners Approve Appointment of New EMA Director
Starke County Searching for New EMA Director
Starke County EMA Director Position to be Filled Soon
The Starke County Emergency Management Agency Advisory Board members will be taking a better look at two applications received for the empty Emergency Management Agency Director position.
Continue readingCommunity Assistance For Emergencies Fund Established Through SCCF
The Starke County Community Organizations Active in Disasters (COAD) group has been working in conjunction with the County’s Emergency Management Agency (EMA) to establish a fund intended to provide assistance during emergencies.
Continue readingKnox-Center Township FD and Surrounding Agencies Respond to Fire on 200 S Monday Night
The Knox-Center Township Fire Department and surrounding agencies spent multiple hours battling a house fire on 200 S Monday evening.
Continue readingStarke County EMA Arranges for Warming Centers to be Established in the Area
In anticipation of the cold snap that is expected to hit the area hard Tuesday and Wednesday, the Starke County Emergency Management Agency has arranged for a few local facilities to be utilized as warming centers.
Continue readingLocal Emergency Responders Participate in Hazardous Material Mitigation Tabletop Exercise
Local emergency personnel gathered in the Knox-Center Township Fire Department Wednesday morning to discuss how to test preparedness by responding to a hypothetical incident involving a hazardous chemical.
Starke County EMA Director J. Nier ran the exercise and it was monitored by Pulaski County EMA Director Sherri Gaillard. Officials from the medical field, law enforcement and fire departments were there to participate.
ISP Trooper Jim Strong was the first person on the scene of the hypothetical accident where a distracted semi driver carrying 6,000 of Anhydrous Ammonia crashed into a train track guardrail, damaging the tanker and causing a pungent white cloud to fill the air. Continue reading
FEMA Representatives Are Still Determining If Starke County Will be Granted Individual Assistance
Starke County Emergency Management Agency Director J. Nier is still waiting to hear back from FEMA representatives about individual assistance for the county.
When FEMA initially declared which counties were eligible for individual assistance for flood damage, Starke County was not included. However, Nier explained that was due to an error with the organization’s reporting app, not because the county didn’t need the help. Continue reading
FEMA Crews Conducting Individual Assessments in Starke County Today
Starke County EMA Director J. Nier reports that FEMA crews are in the county today conducting individual assessments to determine whether or not individual financial assistance will be provided.
Nier previously shared that there was a technical issue with FEMA’s damage reporting app which resulted in the submissions from several counties going unrecorded. Continue reading
Clean-Up Kits and Clothes Available at Starke County EMA Office
Residents who are still in need of flood recovery supplies can pick some up at the Starke County Emergency Management Agency office.
Starke County EMA Director J. Nier said that there are clean-up kits available and there are also some donated clothes that can be picked up. Continue reading
Emergency Management Officials Coordinate Response Efforts For Residents Affected by the Floods
As the flood waters start receding, emergency management officials are beginning to plan out ways to assist those most severely impacted by the recent floods.
The Salvation Army recently delivered a few clean-up kits to emergency management officials in both Starke and Pulaski County. Starke County EMA Director J. Nier and Pulaski County EMA Director Sheri Gaillard said they will be handing those out to the citizens who need them in the near future.
They also said they’ll be conducting more thorough damage assessments once the water recedes more. However, residents are still reminded to fill out damage assessment reports through the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to assist with relief efforts. Only uninsured property damage should be reported. Continue reading
Strong Winds Help Keep Another Surge From Hitting Starke County
According to Starke County EMA Director J. Nier another anticipated river surge will no longer impact the area.
Director Nier said that the strong winds we experienced last night into today helped push back the river and prevented another major surge from hitting. Continue reading
Watch Level Travel Advisory in Effect in Starke County
The Starke County Emergency Management Agency announced that Watch Travel Level advisory has been issued for Starke County roadways due to potentially dangerous conditions.
Starke County EMA Director J. Nier provided a release stating that all county roads maintained by the Starke County Highway Department could be snow or ice covered and hazardous winds may cause significant whiteout conditions and drifting. Continue reading
Starke County EMA Director Reaches Out to Residents
Spring means storms, floods and other unpredictable weather are imminent. Starke County Emergency Management Agency Director Jacob Lippner is harnessing social media and technology to share information about preparedness with residents. Continue reading
Recent Storms Prompt Requests for Damage Reports
Recent storms have prompted the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to remind individuals they may report uninsured damage online.
Northern Indiana was pummeled with rain earlier this week, causing flooding, road closures, and rising streams and rivers. Continue reading
Starke County EMA to Distribute Weather Radios
A potentially life-saving piece of technology will be available for free to Starke County residents. The Starke County Emergency Management Agency is distributing all-hazard weather radios, thanks to help from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Continue reading
Thawing Could Cause Flooding Issues, Says Bombagetti
Starke County EMA Earns Wage Reimbursements, Bonus From State
Starke County Emergency Management Agency Director Ted Bombagetti gave the commissioners some good news this week. The EMA has for the third year in a row exceeded their assessment goal, earning a wage reimbursement for the county. On top of that, Bombagetti says he and Mary Lynn Ritchie brought back $4050 to the county by performing so well on the assessment.
The wage reimbursement totaled $30,000, which covers half of the department’s wages for the year. Bombagetti says that money goes to the county, but the bonus he and Ritchie earned will be returned to the department to be spent on necessary equipment.
District Two Task Force On Alert For Possible Emergency Situation
Starke County EMA Director Ted Bombagetti has announced that the District Two Task Force has been placed on “Alert” status for possible deployment in support of southern Indiana. Bombagetti says southern Indiana is expecting five to nine inches of rain over the weekend from Hurricane Isaac, and he says they are ready to deploy should flooding occur.
The task force has a swift water rescue and tactical rescue team within the unit, and Bombagetti says these teams are ready to be mobile when called. He says the teams can be on the road in a matter of hours, and they’ve been preparing for events such as this for several months.
Starke County EMA Recognized for Improvement
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.”
