LEPC discusses emergency plan

LEPC MEETING

The Local Emergency Preparedness Committee (LEPC) held its monthly meeting on Monday morning.
LEPC director James Quillen reported that the Kansas Division of Emergency Management (KDEM) has extended the deadline for all Kansas counties to submit their Emergency Operations Plan, until August 2021.
Quillen said that Cloud County already has a base plan in effect. There are five specific issues the county needs to address in the coming months:
1. Route Clearance - what roads in the county are a priority and must remain cleared in case of an emergency or disaster.
2. Debris Management Site - where debris can be delivered and/or stored until its permanent removal.
3. Fire Pull Sites - areas of water that air support can pull from in the event of a major fire or disaster.
4. Shelters - shelters for a minimum of two-percent of the population. The high school in Clyde has already been identified as an option, as well as three schools in Concordia.
5. Staging Areas - locations in the county that can be used as staging areas for emergency personnel, as well as points of distribution for emergency supplies.
Caesar Wood, the Director of Auxiliary Services at Cloud County Community College (CCCC), reported that the school is preparing to house a total of 345 students on-campus for the upcoming school year. The dorm rooms will either be single bed, or two students to a room with the beds spaced at least six feet apart.
CCCC has also acquired two electrostatic machines, and is in the process of disinfecting all classrooms, gyms, locker rooms, and other large gathering spaces on-campus.
The Cloud County Health Department (CCHD) reported that, as of June 15, the county has five positive cases of COVID-19, and all five individuals have recovered; 183 negatives tests; and one test result still pending.
The CCHD is also awaiting the test results of several Cloud County residents who were tested at facilities outside of Cloud County.
Dr. Dorothy Breault, Medical Director of CCHD, noted that Cloud County has not had a spike of new cases since the virus restrictions - including Governor Laura Kelly's stay-at-home order - have either expired, were eased, or rescinded. However Dr. Breault noted that the COVID-19 virus is still a pandemic, and many states in the United States - and even some counties in Kansas - have seen a dramatic spike in new cases and hospitalizations since virus restrictions were eased.
Dr. Breault urged all residents of Cloud County to continue to follow social distance guidelines and wear face masks whenever possible.