Preparedness details focus of County Commission meeting

By Nathan Solheim
Assistant Metro Editor
10-15-2004

Thursday was a housekeeping day for the Calhoun County Commission on chemical weapons preparedness issues. One issue revolved around clarifying wording in its agreement with the Army on sounding the alarm in a chemical weapons accident. Commissioners changed the wording that specifies when Army officials must alert the community. The move, in essence, means the Army will alert the community if agent will spread into pink zones. Pink zones are community areas closest to the depot’s boundaries. Previously, the agreement said the Army would trip the alarm in the event of a “community-level emergency.” The Army has agreed to the change, said Dan Long, the director of the Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency. “I wanted to make sure we were all using the correct language,” Long said. “We thought it might be a little confusing.” Commissioners also approved a $882,000 contract with Thompson Engineering Company of Mobile. The company was chosen to coordinate the county’s effort to improve roads and bridges along evacuation routes using $10 million in federal money. Thompson was chosen earlier this year, but was operating under a verbal agreement until now. Thompson will provide engineering services, choose construction firms and recommend bids. County Administrator Ken Joiner said Thompson had to be hired because the sheer volume of projects would have overburdened the county road department. The money has to be spent by mid-2005 or the county will lose the funding. “There wasn’t any way to get it completed in the time frame,” Joiner said. “The road department doesn’t have the staff to do it.” The commission also hired the firm of Bradley Arant and Rose of Birmingham to consult on a multi-million dollar project to replace the 800-megahertz radio system. Commissioners will spend more than $20 million in federal money to replace the system, which allows first responders across the county to communicate. The money was allocated for preparedness for the event of a chemical weapons accident. Joiner said the firm will represent the county in its dealings with Motorola, the company that will install the new system.

About Nathan Solheim

Assistant Metro Editor Nathan Solheim is Minnesota native and a University of Georgia graduate.