Henry County S.I.R.T.
| The Specialized Inter-Agency
Response Team, or
S.I.R.T., pulls together both emergency and non-emergency services to
provide
a response to hazardous materials accidents,
biological/chemical/radiological
events, and other potential mass casualty incidents. Although
S.I.R.T.
began organizing in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks, it
has become a vital part of emergency response in Henry County.
S.I.R.T. is composed of local law
enforcement,
firefighting, and emergency medical services, as well as public health,
hospital, highway, and other public agencies. This multi-agency
format
gives the S.I.R.T. team the resources and flexibility to respond to
nearly
any type of emergency.
S.I.R.T. is a work in progress,
and all of the
groundwork to make it an "official" entity is done. An Executive
Board is in place and the recent completion of a Policies and
Procedures
manual was a big step forward. Some grants have been received and
several new grant applications have been filed. Most of the funds
are going towards training, equipment and supplies. Several
"trial
runs" of the system have been done and we will continue to fine tune
the
S.I.R.T. organization.
The Henry County S.I.R.T. Team was
recently recognized
by Michael Chamness of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency as a
model
for similar efforts elsewhere in the state to follow.
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To join the Henry County SIRT mailing list Click
here
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S.I.R.T. Executive Board
President: Chris Biellier, Colona FD
Vice-Pres: Joe Bedford, HCSO
Sec-Treas: Jason Lambin, Oxford FD
Law Enforcement
Sheriff Gib Cady, Henry County
Deputy Joe Bedford, Henry County
Fire Service
Chief Tom Weston, Kewanee FD
[vacant slot]
Emergency Medical Services
Brian Stoudt, Orion Ambulance
Wanda Hepner, Cambridge Ambulance
Public Health
Gail Ripka, Henry County Health Dept.
[vacant slot]
Support/Other
Ron VanDeWalle, American Red Cross
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