Emergency management presents updated county emergency procedures, adds Narcan to supplies

Emergency management staff presented updated county emergency procedures and maps for shelter locations and asked the commission to approve the plan for distribution, the presenter said.

The updated plan changes the designated chain of command for the county’s emergency response so the presenter (role recorded as emergency management) would assume primary responsibility in a declared emergency instead of the county administrator. The plan also adds Narcan procedures: once approved, the presenter said they will obtain Narcan kits from Cass Public Health and place them in the county’s emergency buckets throughout county buildings.

The presentation included floor-by-floor maps for the annex, courthouse and highway department to guide staff to shelter locations during severe weather. Identified shelter locations include the annex bison room (backup: juvenile detention first floor), the courthouse basement parking garage (backup: first-floor maintenance tunnel), and specified rooms at the highway department.

Commission members asked about alternative basement spaces that require electronic keys and raised practical concerns about storage, fall hazards and capacity. Emergency management staff said they considered those constraints and selected locations that maximize capacity and accessibility without needing key retrieval during an emergency.

Commissioners and staff discussed stocking, maintenance and readiness of the emergency buckets, including periodic inventory for items such as Narcan, wipes and other supplies that can expire. The presenter said they planned to obtain and deploy Narcan kits after formal approval and to coordinate with sheriff’s office and public health on active-shooter, severe-weather and event-specific planning. The presenter also noted the county’s experience staffing a command center at the county fair and said the same approach supports safety planning for parades and other community events.