June 1 – Jonathan Warner worries about things before they happen. He even worries about things that will probably never happen. It’s all part of his job.
Warner, 46, of Hartselle, is director of the Morgan County Emergency Management Agency, a position he has held since August. Previously, Warner had been a part-time safety coordinator for Morgan County for 3.5 years and a full-time firefighter for Hartselle for the past 14.5 years.
Although Warner has been EMA director for less than a year, he and his office are already making positive changes, officials said. This includes a renovated warehouse where EMA equipment is stored, new vehicles and equipment for emergency response, and additional training.
“He didn’t just come to join the staff, he came to make changes,” said Morgan County Commission Chairman Ray Long. “He’s done a fantastic job. He’s come in and shown a lot of leadership. He’s been a breath of fresh air. He’s got the whole team involved; everyone’s working in one direction.”
One notable improvement was renovating an existing provincial warehouse that had sat largely unused for more than a decade and using it for EMA storage, Long said. Using up to $50,000 from the county’s capital improvement fund, Warner renovated the county’s old warehouse, repaired the electrical system and installed all EMA equipment. Now anyone who needs to use the equipment knows where to find it, Long said. The 50-by-100-foot metal building with concrete floor is located at 2531 Alabama 20 W. in Decatur, near 3M Co.
“The building had been vacant there for almost 14 years and no one was using it,” Long said. “Jonathan came in to put the thing together and so he got that going. We open it up so we can store all our equipment in one place. It is currently spread throughout the province. We even have a few things stored there in a few churches in Decatur.”
The renovation work included stripping the old wiring, rewiring and installing a garage door to allow loading and unloading.
“We just renovated the whole building,” Long said, adding, “The outside looked pretty good, but the inside was very rough.”
Warner said part of the reason the warehouse space was needed was to get some enclosed trailers out of the weather. There are also EMA items stored in District 3. He said the county also had a number of bus conversion kits for pandemic use, which they decided to stock in the warehouse.
In addition to securing storage, Warner has added new vehicles to the EMA fleet, which has been an improvement, Long said.
“We had vehicles there where if something was going on they had to jump off,” Long said. “They were old, and he came in and asked to purchase new vehicles, and we did that and got everything in order. We are now a real EMA department. We are ready to respond to anything we need. ” — Decontamination tent
Decatur Fire Chief Tracy Thornton credits Warner and his office with recently purchasing a decontamination tent that can be used in the event of a hazardous materials spill. The tents have chambers used to decontaminate firefighters or hazmat workers.
“In hazmat we have to undergo decontamination – washing off hazardous materials,” the fire chief said. “This is a large tent with several rooms in it and a water connection that allows you to disinfect.”
Thornton said Warner came up with and purchased the equipment “himself,” thinking it was something both EMA and firefighters could use.
“We have decontamination equipment for the fire department, but this will also be a good tool that we have at our disposal,” Thornton said.
“This equipment is portable and can be deployed at any time,” Warner said of the tent. “We had joint training with Decatur Fire & Rescue at their training center, where we displayed this equipment and invited outside agencies to participate.”
Among the agencies in attendance were Falkville Fire & Rescue, Danville Fire & Rescue, Alabama Department of Public Health, Limestone County EMA and Decatur Fire & Rescue.
“This equipment allows us to provide local responders with the equipment needed to handle a major hazardous chemical incident,” said Warner. “The EMA office has also completed emergency response training provided by Norfolk Southern. This training allows us to work with first responders and assist in any way we can.”
The fire chief said that during his months as EMA director, Warner has “worked very easily” with him and that “we have a good relationship between both organizations.”
Beyond that, Thornton said he hopes to soon see the results of a study into what hazardous materials are transported through Decatur every day via trucks, trains and waterways. The research was conducted from February 26 to March 8 and was paid for by a grant. Officials are waiting for the results. – Bad weather
This time of year, Warner worries about flash floods, tornadoes and even the Redstone Arsenal planes that fly over the residential area of Decatur on training missions.
As Director of Emergency Management, Warner prepares plans and procedures for responding to natural disasters or other emergencies and also helps lead the response during and after emergencies. This includes severe storms and tornadoes.
“Our office is always aware of the potential for severe weather in Morgan County,” Warner said. “Our office is a member of the North Alabama Mutual Aid Association, a group of 22 counties that help each other in an emergency larger than what a local EMA can handle.”
He said this association came to Morgan County to help with the March 2023 tornadoes.
“We are always ready to assist local first responders in the event of a tornado, but our work doesn’t stop there,” said Warner. “We are responsible for damage assessments, coordinating with the Alabama Emergency Management Agency to gather necessary information and investigating the need for a potential emergency declaration.” – Mass wreck plan
Warner said Morgan Countians may not realize it, but they are “blessed with trained, dedicated and professional responders” who are sent to mass wrecks far too often.
“These massive wrecks often involve hazardous materials, and our responsibilities include coordinating with various government agencies to ensure proper cleanup is conducted.”
Typically, EMA communicates with the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, the Alabama Department of Transportation and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, he said.
“Collectively, we are working together to ensure the incident is handled in a manner that has the least impact on the citizens and environment of Morgan County.”
One thing the EMA has done recently is update its mass fatality plan.
“Unfortunately, this is something that we have to be prepared for in the world we live in,” Warner said. “We coordinate regularly with the Morgan County Coroner’s Office. We are also aware of proposed state resources in North Alabama that could assist in the event of a mass shooting/mass casualty event.”
He said the EMA also has a memorandum of understanding with local ambulance services and hospitals for such cases.
“While I have many goals for our agency, key goals include expanding public education, strengthening the already strong relationships with our emergency responders, modernizing emergency response equipment, and expanding the services we offer to the citizens of Morgan County,” he said. — Airplanes
One concern some residents have is about Redstone Arsenal planes that regularly train in the Decatur area and sometimes fly over residential areas.
“We are aware of the activities of Redstone Arsenal and the fact that it is a concern for our citizens,” Warner said. “Redstone Arsenal shares information with us about their activities. We share that information via social media and also with other agencies that may pass on the information.”
If an accident were to occur, the fire department would be in charge and it would then be turned over to law enforcement.
“EMA would support all agencies on the ground and assist in any way possible,” Warner said. “We could help by getting more resources or specialized resources, activating our Emergency Operations Center, requesting state resources, requesting the Red Cross (and other volunteer organizations), ensuring that any hazardous materials are contained and ensuring that first responders are taken care of.” – Nuclear power plant
Warner recently learned more about radiological disaster mitigation by attending the National Radiological Emergency Preparedness convention in Dallas. In particular, he learned how to better communicate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the event of a radiation release from the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Browns Ferry nuclear power plant in neighboring Limestone County.
One of the seminars he attended discussed interacting with FEMA assessors during simulated radiology exercises. During such an exercise, officials from various agencies collect data and make decisions about how to best inform and protect the public.
“We have to prove to FEMA that we are prepared in the event of a radiological emergency,” Warner said. “This seminar provided insight into dealing with FEMA and how to make an exercise as realistic as possible. I feel like I am better prepared for a radiological exercise, which also makes me better prepared for a real radiological event.”
While radiological emergencies are rare, the EMA works closely with the TVA to ensure the company is prepared for a radiological release, Warner said.
“This close relationship is crucial to completing this task,” he said. “We are constantly training, updating equipment, gathering information and sharing information with others.”
This readiness includes collaboration with all first responders in Morgan County, school boards, many volunteer organizations and many other state and federal agencies, he said.
Warner believes his office is adequately funded to accomplish what needs to be done.
“The Morgan County Commission recognizes the importance of the EMA office and the resources needed to do our work,” Warner said. “The committee is doing a great job of funding us adequately.”
He said TVA provides funding for radiological emergency preparedness and is “a great partner.”
While these are the agency’s two main sources of funding, Warner says his agency also uses grants and other revenue streams.
— jean.cole@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2361
