Chemical program hires new public information officer
By Ryan Garrett/Register News Writer

A local program designed to protect the public in the event of a chemical accident at the Blue Grass Army Depot has a new public information officer.

Stephanie Parrett of Jackson County is the newest addition to the Madison County Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program after Madison Fiscal Court approved the hiring Tuesday.

Michael Bryant, the program's former public information officer, was promoted to director of CSEPP after Carlis Richards vacated the position when he was named director of the county's Emergency Management Agency, which oversees the program.

"She's very high energy," said Richards. "She has good ideas, a good education in the field (of public relations) and a lot of contacts. I think she'll be a lifelong committed person to the county and the organization."

Parrett, a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, officially began her work with the program this morning, but she has been studying its ins and outs since she was hired.

"I'm overwhelmed with little details," she said. "When they offered me the job, I asked for some information to start working on. I wanted to jump right into it."

One of the toughest obstacles CSEPP has faced is increasing community awareness about the 14 emergency zones into which the county is divided. Richards expects Parrett to be a major asset in overcoming that obstacle.

"Everyone comes into a new job full of energy and expectations," Richards said. "She's also going to bring some new ideas and some modern technical experience to the table."

During Parrett's interview, Richards threw out possible scenarios to see how quick she could think on her feet.

"She rattled off five or six suggestions within minutes," he said.

Parrett is looking forward to the task.

"I wanted to work with real issues that affected peoples' lives," she said. "This position, when it came open, really caught my attention because it's a lot of community involvement, and I think I can make a difference."

Parrett said she plans to supply the community with every piece of information it needs for CSEPP to be successful in keeping it safe.

"I want to tackle the job of making sure everybody in Madison County knows about the program," she said. "It's pretty amazing - not a lot of people know about CSEPP. I want to change that."

Ryan Garrett can be reached at rgarrett@richmondregister.com or at 623-1669, Ext. 234.