Emergency management officials form partnerships with community organizations

JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – In the event of a natural disaster, such as a hurricane or a large fire, those on the front lines are responsible for keeping the community safe.

“I mean during the response phase, emergency management and EOC, the emergency operations center, is a central hub for decision makers and executive heads from all the different agencies,” Keith said. Maddox of Emergency Management.

That’s why Jackson County and emergency management officials have made agreements with other organizations.

“Without these community partnerships, we are a very small team, so having that is critical to being able to operate effectively and to be able to provide services to the community,” County Administrator Wilanne Daniels said.

Some of these deals are with places like Jackson Hospital and the Chipola Amateur Radio Club.

“Others are with faith groups to help with food, help with EOC, and even the public, during a disaster,” Maddox said.

There was an event that made partnerships like this more relevant. Even though these agreements have been in place for years, officials say Hurricane Michael has put some specific needs at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

“The community, the commissioners, myself, we all understand the significance of this after going through something at the level of Hurricane Michael,” Daniels said.

“I think it opened everyone’s eyes to how important they were and expanded the range of deals we thought we could make,” Maddox said.

Officials say all partnerships and preparations are aimed at keeping Jackson County safe during any type of emergency. These partnerships can be used in any type of emergency, including but not limited to storms, hurricanes, and fires.