The Sarpy County Local Emergency Planning Committee was convened in open and public session on 14 March 2001 at 7:30 PM at the Papillion Fire Department. The following members or alternates were present according to the sign-in sheet: Tom Bartek, Jeff Book, Candy Borman, Adam Boswell, Ron Clark, Dave Coombs, Bob DeVriendt, Gary Fliehmann, Steve Fuehring, Marilyn Gable, Robin Gullie, Tom Hanson, Jane Hedges, Scott Keep, Joe Mastandrea, Ken Noel, Carol O’Donnell, Wade Peterson, Maria Reiter, Paul Rupp, Jason Schendt (for John Strawn), Rich Schmidt, Tim Schram, and Matt Wallace. Guests were Maj Karen Clark, Lt Col Phil Molle, and Lt Col Wade Watts.

Advanced notice of the meeting was published in the Bellevue Leader and Papillion Times. Copies of Proof of Publication are on file in the Sarpy County Clerk’s Office. All proceedings were taken while the convened meeting was open to the attendance of the public.

Matt Wallace moved, seconded by Rich Schmidt, to approve the minutes of the 10 January 2001 LEPC meeting. Motion passed unanimously.

BOARD REPORTS:

Chairman Report: Chairman Fliehmann advised that there were no reportable Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) incidents this quarter. Bellevue responded to 4 HAZMAT incidents consisting mainly of gas spills at service stations and one antifreeze leak. All were nonreportable HAZMAT incidents.

Vice Chairman Report: No Report.

Information Coordinator: Coordinator Mastandrea provided several updates. They are as follows:

(1) The first concerned administrative changes to LEPC membership which will be taken care of by the next meeting. Rich Weber and Nancy Noda have resigned. Jane Hedges from Midlands Hospital will be joining us as Nancy Noda’s replacement. (2) The Sarpy County Local Emergency Operations Plan (LEOP) revisions have been submitted to the State for printing. However, the LEPC Resource Book is still in revision because it is being completely reworked. (4) The Chemical Compatibility Handout provides information about a computer worksheet system developed for first responders, fire fighters, and those in industry dealing with chemical storage issues. The worksheet helps answer questions on chemical compatibility, what chemicals are incompatible, and which ones shouldn’t be stored near each other. Coordinator Mastandrea advised that if you downloaded this in the past, you’re probably using an older version of software. The worksheet has been updated twice in the last month; the current software is Version 1.3. It is available for downloading from the Internet free of charge courtesy of EPA and is an excellent tool which has already proven itself to save lives. (5) The Computer Aided Management of Emergency Operations program is also being revised along with MARPLOT, the mapping program, and ALOHA, the plume-modeling program, that go along with it. We should expect a push for training once the new software versions come out. (6) Finally, Nebraska Emergency Management is holding a workshop of Terrorism on 20 March at Midlands Hospital. Encourage and support attendance by law enforcement, fire department officials, and city clerks because this opens the door for funding.

Secretary Report: Chairman Fliehmann reported that the LEPC officers held a pre-meeting on 7 March. Secretary Reiter read the Minutes of the Pre-Meeting to the committee.

COMMITTEE REPORTS: Chairman Fliehmann presented a listing of LEPC members who have signed up for the various committees. He pointed out that there are some people not on a committee and who have been active LEPC members for quite a while. Chairman Fliehmann encouraged all members to get involved. Committee Chairs were requested to appoint Vice Chairs who would be able to present the committee reports in the Chairs’ absence. This would resolve the problem of not getting a report due to unavailability of a committee member to present it.

Exercise: Vice Chairman DeVriendt reported on the meeting he held on 14 March with Cathy Borman, Jane Hedges, and Nancy Noda. Jeff Book and Matt Wallace were unable to attend. The Exercise Committee discussed some of their roles and responsibilities and decided to put together a consolidated listing of the various exercises that are planned throughout the year. Vice Chairman DeVriendt requested that personnel provide him information on the exercises being planned in their particular areas or departments. He will then publicize and disseminate the information to increase overall awareness and participation. As the Exercise Committee becomes more established, it will determine what type of exercise is needed to comply with the bylaws. Vice Chairman DeVriendt will use the primary committee representatives or alternate designee as points of contacts. The following exercises are being planned and coordinated:

1. Tornado Exercise – Statewide exercise involving various departments and emergency operations centers will be held the first week in April.
2. Offutt Airshow Exercise – HAZMAT and Mass Casualty exercise along with aircraft accident will take place on 11 Aug.
3. Radiological Awareness Exercise – Scheduled for Bellevue in October.
4. Sub Area Contingency Plan Functional Exercise - Council Bluffs and Douglas County agencies will respond to a spill on the Missouri River planned for November.

Financial: No Activity. Chairman Fliehmann stated that one of the purposes of this committee is to provide funds for newspaper articles to increase general public awareness about the LEPC, what it does, and how it can help them. The last article was published two years ago. Coordinator Mastandrea stated that money is available on a reimbursement basis when applied for this purpose. Chairman Fliehmann will attempt to get initial funding for news media publicity from industry. An initiative is to recruit a local media representative from the Bellevue Leader or Papillion Times to become a member of the LEPC. Jane Hedges asked why we should have to pay to put an article of interest in the paper since she considers it public service and not advertisement. Coordinator Mastandrea stated that we’re looking for something more than informative type articles. We usually get those when we conduct an exercise. Public info coverage is very hard to get for free. A news media representative could put together articles about what he does as part of being an LEPC member.

Legislative: Coordinator Mastandrea identified 22 bills in the Unicameral this year that had something to do with hazardous materials. Mastandrea has the bills and status available for those who would like to review this information. The ones of interest include the following:

1. LB 717 – This is an LEPC 3-yr funding grant bill which would provide money up front for LEPCs in the form of project grants from the State with EPA reimbursement. The bill passed unanimously but was vetoed by the Governor.
2. LB 292 – A 1-yr funding bill for LEPCs which did not make it out of committee.
3. LB 191 – Imposes emergency response motor vehicle license fees which would then be used to establish an EMS operation fund. This bill may provide an alternative for LEPC funding. The bills tend to go in 2-yr cycles, so we can try 292 again next year or go to 191 if it passes. However, license fees are usually difficult to pass the unicameral because so many people see it and attempt to do the same thing.

Outreach: No Report. Coordinator Mastandrea questioned the members to determine if anyone saw the "Shelter in Place" commercial which was broadcast during the week. Mastandrea then played videotape of the commercial for the group. Sarpy County is the only LEPC with a telephone listing, so Coordinator Mastandrea anticipated calls about the commercial. Since he didn’t receive any and none of the members reported seeing the commercial, he will get in touch with the producer. Radio ads were also produced and mailed to the radio stations yesterday. Coordinator Mastandrea requested feedback from anyone who hears these commercials on the radio.

Plans: Matt Wallace had no specific information on response plans, but he asked whether the Terrorism Annex drafted last year was added to the LEOP. Coordinator Mastandrea confirmed that this had been accomplished. Wallace stated that the annex is a fairly comprehensive addition to the LEOP. Chairman Fliehmann asked for a status update on the Resource Book revision. Coordinator Mastandrea stated that he expects to complete his revisions before the next meeting but probably after the LEOP edits. The Resource Book is a key asset, and Coordinator Mastandrea is trying to automate the process so that it draws on one central database.

Training: Dan Peterson is Chair of this committee but is currently attending another meeting. Coordinator Mastandrea described recent and presented future training opportunities:

1. Tornado Spotter Training – This is not inherently HAZMAT, but tornadoes have a tendency to involve chemicals when they tip over 55-gallon drums or rupture anhydrous ammonia tanks, for example. A flyer has been past around for those interested. Coordinator Mastandrea indicated that there is a correction on training location specified on the flyer. Tornado Spotter training will be held in Midlands Hospital Cafeteria.
2. SERC LEPC Conference – Held a few weeks ago in North Platt, the conference included a national level speaker and 54 attendees from across the State. There were no representatives from Sarpy County at the Conference.
3. First Responder Radiological Awareness Response Training – Scope of training is response to transportation accident involving spent nuclear reactor fuel coming through Sarpy County. Training will be held in Bellevue District 1 Fire Station on 4 April from 0800-1200. A flyer has been past around for those interested in signing up for this training. Coordinator Mastandrea will also mail these flyers tomorrow to chiefs and training officers in law enforcement, fire, and public works.
4. Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction Awareness Training – Course will be held 1May at the LaVista Fire Training Room. A flyer has been past around for those interested who want to sign up tonight. Flyers will also be mailed to chiefs and training officers in law, fire, and public works.
5. FEMA EPA Region VI LEPC SERC Conference – Scheduled for 7-9 September in Overland Park Kansas, the Conference will consist of a mix of plenary sessions and technical breakouts. There are 4 tracks to include Basics of LEPCs, Mechanics of LEPCs, Technology, and Topics of Special Interest. The last conference we had two years ago was held in Kansas City and we sent 6 representatives from Sarpy County. Matt Wallace attended this Conference in 1999 and said it was very informational and we were well represented. Coordinator Mastandrea indicated that we’d like to have good attendance at this upcoming conference also. Vice Chairman DeVriendt and Secretary Reiter expressed interest in attending.
6. Tornado Spotter Class – Chairman Fliehmann provided information about a Tornado Spotter Class hosted by the City of Bellevue on 18 April from 1000 until noon at the Bellevue District 1 Fire Station. The National Weather Service is teaching the class and it is open to anyone interested.

OLD BUSINESS: None

NEW BUSINESS: Maj Karen Clark from the 55^th Wing Plans and Programs Office briefed the membership about the Offutt AFB Airshow Exercise scheduled for 11 Aug and extended an invitation to participate. The exercise provides an opportunity to use local agencies and base agencies to respond to an aggressive major accident response exercise. The scenario involves two F-117 aircraft that crash while on long final approach to the base. One aircraft crashes into the AT&T Building on 132d Street and the other crashes into the crowd on the base. This will establish two dissimilar sites with response vehicles to both sites. Because of the composition of the aircraft, the exercise will include HAZMAT with fuel, unique response to composite materials the aircraft is made of, and mass casualties. The aircraft materials are carbonized type materials which become like glass shards when involved in a crash. If inhaled, the materials readily pierce the lungs and can be fatal without immediate treatment. The base would like to integrate with local agencies for those interested in participating and is open to suggestions from the community. Local involvement can consist of providing ambulance service or activating the National Disaster Medical Service agreement with local hospitals. The objective is to provide a good training opportunity for both the community and the base. The off-base crash site offers a way to exercise our National Disaster Area procedures. Lt Col Molle, 55^th Wing Plans and Programs Chief also extended an invitation to the membership and encouraged participation. He stated that it would be a good way for local agencies to become familiar with the base to increase familiarization in the event there was a need to respond to a real world situation. The base would also like to transport casualty actors to local hospitals. The exercise will start at 7:00 AM and run through the afternoon until all the casualties are taken care of.

Vice Chairman DeVriendt agreed to act as a point of contact for Sarpy County representatives wanting to participate; Mr. Eric Swanson is the Douglas County point of contact.

Coordinator Mastandrea called everyone’s attention to the handouts available in the back of the room. One that’s important is the LEPC Member information change. Coordinator Mastandrea requested that members fill one out if there have been changes in address, phone number, or e-mail.

Chairman Fliehmann reminded everyone that one of the issues discussed during the 7 March Pre-Meeting was to brainstorm ideas to improve regular meetings. Chairman Fliehmann asked for suggestions to include on the program for future meetings.

Adjournment: With no further business, Chairman Fliehmann asked for a motion to adjourn. Motion made by Matt Wallace, seconded by Jane Hedges. Motion carried.

Chairman Fliehmann advised next meeting scheduled for 13 June. Location to be determined.

Submitted by

 MARIA REITER

Return to the Sarpy County Local Emergency Planning Committee Page

Revised May 23, 2001

This document qualifies as HTML 4.0 transitional!