President's Message
- Volume 51, Number 6 - 2007
Support your county's Emergency Management Office.
Right now, they’re sleeping a little lighter; watching the radar a little more closely.
This time of year in Alabama, our county employees and citizen volunteers who respond to disasters may be called into service with little warning. Mother Nature always seems to be a bit more aggravated in the spring. Unfortunately, there’s evidence to prove it.
Just in the last month, a half-dozen counties were hit by damaging tornadoes. The property damage has been substantial, but we can all be proud of the response, hard work and dedication shown by the first responders in each instance.
All this activity has coincided with counties receiving the first financial subsidies from a 2007 bill crafted to enhance the delivery of such services on the local level.
Most of you probably remember that Alabama law now provides counties with a salary subsidy for their local Emergency Management Directors who have completed the state-established certification program. The legislation established a certification process for local EMA directors and a salary subsidy to bring their salaries to a statewide minimum of $40,000.
In all, 13 counties are receiving the subsidy and another 15 or so also have certified directors who are compensated at a level that exceeds the minimum. Other local directors are also expected to meet the certification criteria in the coming years as this effort picks up steam throughout the state.
The financial support established by the 2007 legislation does not end with those counties whose EMA directors were being paid less than $40,000 last year. Counties employing certified directors who are paid more than the minimum qualify for an extra distribution of federal funds. This year’s allocation is expected to be at least $200,000, which will be divided among those other counties with certified directors.
Although the extra financial support is important, the long-range goal of the new law is to enhance the emergency response function of county government.
Perhaps because Conecuh County is so close to the Gulf of Mexico, and we’ve seen firsthand the power of a hurricane, our county commission has focused attention on preparing for and responding to disaster events. But, even we can do more.
The existence of this extra revenue should allow all counties to employ qualified, experienced local directors. In the process, it should free up other local funds that can be used to better equip the directors and to provide the tools needed to help our citizens when they need it most.
The real benefits of this new approach should be felt by our constituents for years to come.
It wasn’t all that long ago that ACCA’s board of directors approved the recognition of the Alabama Association of Emergency Managers as an affiliate group. At the time, none of us knew the partnership would produce fruit so quickly. This legislation is certainly not the only thing we have accomplished together.
Our Association staff works hard and spends a great deal of time working hand-in-hand with the local managers from across the state. Providing educational and training opportunities, enhancing the communication network, and generating public support for our joint efforts are just a few of the things we have accomplished together.
We’re already looking forward to the Alabama-Mississippi Hurricane Conference in May, a time when we’ll join with our neighbors to the west in an effort to be better prepared for the next Gulf storm.
The combined efforts of ACCA and our EMA directors can also bear fruit in Washington. This year, the state is expecting an increase in federal funding for disaster preparedness.
Our local offices should share in that increase. Using our collective efforts, we can work toward further enhancements of this funding in future years.
It is our hope that the 2007 legislation and the other projects we are working on together will be just the beginning of a comprehensive effort to improve the delivery of these important emergency services on the local level.
In the meantime, the local EMA directors must continue to keep one eye on the radar, so we’ll all be prepared for that day when our names are called.
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