Revised Emergency Operations Plan approved

WALLACE — The Shoshone Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) recently approved the revised and updated version of Shoshone County’s Emergency Operation Plan (EOP).

The purpose of this EOP is to provide the framework for coordination and full mobilization of the county’s internal and external resources in the event of emergency.

The complex document outlines how the county will handle the various elements of each emergency, including things like operations, responsibilities, coordination, how information is disseminated, finances, administration, and logistics among many others.

With the exception of a 2011 evacuation annex, the former plan had been in use since 2009 and had had no other revisions.

Shoshone County Emergency Manager Dan Martinsen along with the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) assembled what they called the Core Planning Team and contracted with a plan specialist to help guide them through process of revising the 100-plus page document.

The COVID-19 pandemic slowed them slightly, but they were able to get the approval of the local community emergency responders, as well as the BOCC.

The previous plan had been structured more like State/Federal/Military EOP complete with emergency support functions which define and direct specific actions at specific times by specific departments or entities.

But Martinsen and company had decided to go in a different direction.

“That worked well in the past, however today our first responders, health districts, utility districts and providers, public entities like schools, government and volunteer groups all respond jointly and separately as needed,” Martinsen said. “We selected an agency/department-centric model which identifies the lead agencies that will be responding and providing direction, control and authority for emergency response service, and then identifies their roles and responsibilities to each other and the event.”

According to Martinsen, the new plan is more user-friendly, both in real time and exercise scenarios.

“We will review annually and update as needed in order to keep the plan fresh in providers minds and to assure we have the most current information to respond to events with,” Martinsen said.

Martinsen also spoke on behalf of his committee and was thankful for the assistance they received during the revision process.

“We (BOCC, the Sue Welch, Welch Resources, LLC (Contract Consultant)) would like to extend a huge thank you to the community emergency providers for their exceptional amount of time and participation in development of this plan,” Martinsen said. “It isn’t a cookie cutter plan with the names changed.”

The plan hasn’t been made public yet, but is forthcoming according to Martinsen.

For any questions or additional information, contact Martinsen at 208-752-8891.