2023 10/26

SWMI AMS/NWA Chapter Meeting Minutes

Thursday, October 26, 2023

West Michigan Aviation Academy 

5363 44th st., Grand Rapids, MI 49512

Officers Present: Alana Dachtler, Aubrey Papke, Linda Paige, Warren Wheeler

Attendance: 

Call to order: 7:01

Barry County Emergency Management Department By Jim Yarger

President Alana Dachtler calls the meeting to order and presents some housekeeping items on a PowerPoint. The next meeting will be a joint meeting with the GR Amateur Astronomical Group at the GR Public Museum which will be about “Last Chance to Plan Now to see the Great 2024 Total Solar Eclipse” Presented by Dave DeBruyn and George Lessens and then in December we will be back at The West Michigan Aviation Academy for a “Winter 2023/2024 Outlook” Presented by Bill Marino

Forecast contest Winners are presented to the group, winners are Linda Paige, Jeff Wilhelm (x2), Matt Kirkwood (x2), Jim Carpenter!

Dues reminder, dues are due by January 1st. 20$ regular/10$ student. Possible change to the chapter's constitution for future speakers cost. 

Treasures report:

Savings: 874.10$ 

Checking: 35.83$

Jim Yarger is the Emergency Management Coordinator for Barry County.  He gave a talk discussing the duties and responsibilities of an emergency manager. 
As a formal responsibility of government in the United States, what we now call emergency management began with efforts to address growing threats of fire and disease in large cities and towns.

-FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) 

-Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988 

-Michigan Emergency Management Act - Public Act 390 of 1976 

-PA 390 Section 9 - The County Board of Commissioners shall appoint an emergency management coordinator.

Responsibilities of the Local EM Coordinator:

-Mitigation

-Preparedness/Planning

-Response

-Recovery

Local EM Projects:

-Hazard Mitigation Plan (Review/Renewal)

-EAG

-Public Education

-School Active Shooter Response Training and Plans

-Critical Infrastructure Assessments 

-Incident Action Plans for local events

Definitions:

Chief Elected Official - Chairperson of the County Board of Commissioners or the appointed administrator designated by appropriate enabling legislation.

Director - Director of the Michigan State Police Emergency Management & Homeland Security Division

District Coordinator - MSP Emergency Management Coordinator 5th District, Lt. Josh Collins

Emergency Management Coordinator - Person appointed pursuant to P.A. 390 section 9 to coordinate emergency management within the county and municipalities. Barry County, Jim Yarger

Disaster - an occurrence or threat of widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property resulting from a natural or human-made cause, including, but not limited to, fire, flood, snowstorm, ice storm, tornado, windstorm, wave action, oil spill, water contamination, utility failure, hazardous peacetime radiological incident, major transportation accident, hazardous materials incident, epidemic, air contamination, blight, drought, infestation, explosion, or hostile military action or paramilitary action, or similar occurrences resulting from terrorist activities, riots, or civil disorders.

Local State of Emergency - a proclamation or declaration that activates the response and recovery aspects of any and all applicable local or inter-jurisdictional emergency operations plans and authorizes the furnishing of aid, assistance, and directives under those plans.

Districts - 8 Emergency Management Districts. Follow MSP districts. No 4th District.  

Process of declaring a “local state of emergency”

-Local Jurisdiction contacts the County 

-County contacts State

-State works with County and Local 

-EMHSD Director works with the Governor 

-Governor Requests Federal Assistance

State Disaster Contingency Fund - damage assessments 

-FEMA 

-RedCross

-Emergency Manager Coordinator 

-Insurance Companies 

-National Weather Service 

Time Table of Assistance:

This assistance comes through Mutual Aid Agreements (MAA), Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Local/Regional Agencies, Simple & Complex.

MEMAC - Michigan Emergency Management Assistance Compact - Organizes local, regional, and state resources for mutual aid when disasters occur.

Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) - This is an interstate agreement that streamlines the assistance one governor can lend to another after a natural disaster or terrorist attack. January 9, 2002, Michigan became the 43rd state to join EMAC. Members now include all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 3 US Territories.

National Incident Management System (NIMS) - Standardized organizational structures, processes, and procedures; Standards for planning, training, and exercising, and personnel qualification standards; Equipment acquisition and certification standards; Interoperable communications processes, procedures, and systems; Information management systems; and Supporting technologies – voice and data communications systems, information systems, data display systems and specialized technologies

EOC - Located in each county. Staffed with decision-makers:

- County Government 

- Communications

- Law Enforcement

- Public Health

- Fire Response

- Public Works

- Emergency Medical Services 

- Human Services

- Transportation

EM Partners: 9-1-1, NWS, NOAA, and Skywarm training, United Way, Crisis Cleanup, Live United, Michigan 2-1-1, American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, Department of Human Services, Barry-Eaton District Health Department, Pennock Hospital, Barry Amateur Radio Association, AuxComm, Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) MI-TRT-5, Medical Response Coalition, Citizen Corps, CERT, Michigan State Police Civil Air Patrol, Great lakes Rescue, WMU College of Aviation, 51st Civil Support Team.

Jim describes the vast equipment and vehicles they use.

Jim talks a lot family preparedness and safety 

jyarger@barrycounty.org 

Jim opens it up for questions and tells some personal anecdotes.

President Alana wraps up the meeting and talks briefly about the constitution change of the executive board is allowed to spend on speakers. The vote is decided and the motion passes of changing speaker payments from 100-200$ with no altercations.

Meeting adjourned at 8:26