Preparedness.
What About You?
OUR MISSION
Protecting People & Property
All municipalities in Pennsylvania must plan for disasters as per Pennsylvania State Law Title 35 (Health and Safety) which requires municipalities to have a place, a staff and a plan dedicated to disaster preparedness. Our unified group consisting of Dillsburg, Carroll Twp, Franklintown, Monaghan Twp, Warrington Twp, & Wellsville is called NEMA (Northern York County Unified Emergency Management Agency). Our mission is to provide for the protection of persons & property in disasters affecting the Northern York County community at large.
OUR PURPOSE
Primary Functions NEMA Provides
PREVENTION
activities include (but are not limited to) Public Education and Hazard Mitigation. Some examples of Public Education are including helpful Brochures on this website, encouraging people to attend trainings such as a First Aid Workshop and/or a CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training. An example of Hazard Mitigation is identifying an area in a community which is prone to flooding, then taking the necessary steps to minimize the flooding. In this example, the goal of Hazard Mitigation is to reduce future of damage to property and possible loss of life due to flooding.
PREPAREDNESS
activities include (but are not limited to) creating and updating an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) for each municipality. The Basic Plan used by each municipality in Pennsylvania is a way to prepare for Emergencies and Disasters using a standard format based on NIMS guidelines (the National Incident Management System) and ICS guidelines (the Incident Command System). NIMS and ICS provide a standardized way to deal with emergencies and disasters. Another preparedness activity is to form Mutual Aid Agreements with other local municipalities. These agreements simply state that municipalities will help each other with resources during emergencies and/or disasters.
RESPONSE
activities may include (but are not limited to) Evacuation and/or Shelter in Place notices or instructions. A perfect example of an Evacuation Notice occurs frequently in coastal communities prone to Hurricanes. A local EMA, with the authority of the local government, may recommend to the public to evacuate when severe weather is imminent.
RECOVERY
activities may include (but are not limited to) Damage Assessment and Reporting. For example, a local municipality may be able to receive some monetary compensation for expenses due to a disaster if a Disaster Declaration was made by the PA State Government and the local authority; the expenses must be reported through the County EMA.
TESTIMONIAL
The Value of a Plan
I remember recently being with my in-laws who were both ill. My mother-in-law had a heart condition while my father-in-law was confined to bed; both required assistance. Several days of rain followed by high winds left hundreds of local citizens without power as falling trees took down power lines throughout Northern York County. The power company methodically restored power as they were able, but my in-laws went two days without power. Fortunately, they had planned ahead over the years and created “Plan A” – using a portable back-up generator to power the most important circuits in the house- pump for well water, refrigeration for food, lighting for safety. With a well-stocked food pantry, they were able to shelter in place in spite of their medical needs. Otherwise, we would have had to go to “Plan B”- evacuating them to their son’s home as long as he had power at his home. Preparing “Plan A” saved my in-laws from making a stressful and difficult evacuation from their home. More importantly, the planning gave the entire family confidence that we were at the very least prepared for a potential power outage.
Our Leadership
Ethan Still, Emergency Management Coordinator
Tim Hildebrand, Deputy Coordinator
Herb Bomberger, Carroll Township
Karen Deibler, Carroll Township
Kurt Eastep, Monaghan Township
Amy Erb, Warrington Township
Jeff Griffin, Dillsburg Borough
Larry Harbold, Franklintown Borough
Darren Hercyk, Monaghan Township
Terri Hildebrand, Dillsburg Borough
Tim Hildebrand, Dillsburg Borough
Christian Ierly, Wellsville Borough
Dave Shreffler, Monaghan Township
Ethan Still, Carroll Township
Jeff Walters, Dillsburg Borough
Felix Zarate, Network Administrator