Work is progressing on a program designed to help protect local residents when things go wrong — from just a little wrong to really, really wrong, according to Emergency Management Director Amy Miller.
Miller reported recently that her department is “close to accumulating required data for the Barton County Hazard Mitigation Plan.”
That plan is important because it will set out ways that the county will be served when things go wrong, from a seasonal storm, to a major terrorist event.
“The purpose of a Hazard Mitigation Plan is to guide hazard mitigation to better protect the people and property of Barton County,” Miller reported. “The Barton County Hazard Mitigation Plan will be a multi-jurisdictional plan, meaning that not only the county, but also local governments with taxing authority, such as cities, townships and school districts, are planning partners. 
“Currently four school districts and nine cities have taken action to participate in the plan. All of the townships within Barton County will become part of the county section of the plan,” Miller explained.
It will also be crucial for the public to be involved in this process, Miller stressed, and because of that, meetings will soon be announced where the public can both learn about and have input in the process. “At this point, it appears that the first of two public hearings, which will allow citizens an opportunity to review and make comments on the plan, will be held in mid to late September.
She added an announcement about the schedule for that meeting is expected soon.
“After the hearings, the plan will be forwarded to the state of Kansas and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for review,” Miller explained.