Town personnel take emergency training

By WAYNE QUESENBERRY/Staff

Although Wytheville Town Council considered several issues at Monday evening’s regular meeting, members seemed preoccupied with a 6 a.m. Tuesday session. Council members and staff are taking required courses of the National Incident Management System for responding to natural disasters and emergencies including acts of terrorism.
The three training courses last three to four hours and require participants to pass an examination upon completion for accreditation. The first course was held last Thursday, Aug. 7, at 6 a.m. with the final course on Thursday, Aug. 14, also at 6 a.m.
All town employees that may be involved in response to such incidents have taken the courses, too.
“Federal law requires communities to be certified with this training if they are to receive federal funding following an incident,” noted Council member Jackie King. “The purpose of the NIMS training is to provide a unified approach to reacting to an incident. While most emergency situations are handled locally, when there is a major incident, help may be needed from other jurisdictions and the state and federal governments.”
NIMS, King noted, was developed so responders from different jurisdictions and disciplines can work together to better respond to natural disasters and emergencies including acts of terrorism. It is intended that NIMS will provide a unified approach to incident management, standard command and management structures, an emphasis on preparedness, mutual aid and resource management, she pointed out.
According to King, members of the Wythe County Board of Supervisors and key county employees have taken the training.
“We mention all this,” King remarked, “as a matter of information for citizens to know that we hope that a major incident never occurs, but in the event that it does, we should be better prepared to respond.”
In other action Monday, town council agreed to raise mowing fees to $65 with an hourly rate of $25 for any additional manhours. Council established previous rates of $50 in 2002 and since then equipment expenses, personnel and fuel costs have continued to rise.
Town code requires that every lot be mowed at least two times per growing season. In cases where the property owner does not mow the property, town crews perform the work and bill the property owner.
At the request of the Public Works Committee, council approved the purchase of a new street sweeper. Members agreed to re-appropriate funds for a knuckle boom truck toward the sweeper.
Director of Public Works Dennis Hackler advised the committee that the town’s street sweeper was in a bad state of repair and needed to be replaced. He advised that repairing the existing street sweeper would not be cost effective and asked a new one be bought.
In other action, Tommy Hundley was reappointed to the Wytheville Redevelopment and Housing Authority for another four-year term. His current term expires Sept. 8.
Wayne Quesenberry can be reached at 228-6611 or .