To view the meeting minutes from the most recent Calhoun County LEPC meeting, click here . The purpose of a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) is to enhance community preparedness, response, and recovery efforts in the face of potential hazards, emergencies, and disasters. LEPCs are established at the local level as mandated by the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) in the United States. Their main objectives include: Hazard Identification and Planning : LEPCs identify potential hazards and risks that the community may face, ranging from natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes to man-made incidents like chemical spills or industrial accidents. This information forms the basis for creating emergency response plans tailored to the specific needs of the community. Emergency Preparedness : LEPCs work to develop and maintain comprehensive emergency response plans that outline specific actions to be taken in various emergency scenarios. These plans involve collaboration among local government agencies, first responders, public health officials, private sector representatives, and community organizations. Community Education and Outreach : LEPCs promote public awareness and education about potential hazards in the community. They provide information to residents, businesses, and organizations on how to prepare for emergencies, reduce risks, and respond effectively when disaster strikes. Public Involvement : LEPCs engage with the community to gather input, address concerns, and involve citizens in the emergency planning process. Public participation ensures that emergency plans and strategies reflect the needs and priorities of the local population. Training and Exercises : LEPCs organize training sessions and emergency drills to enhance the readiness of emergency responders, public officials, and community members. Regular exercises help test the effectiveness of emergency plans and identify areas for improvement. Chemical Reporting and Right-to-Know : EPCRA mandates that LEPCs oversee the reporting of hazardous chemicals stored or used within the community. They ensure that facilities comply with reporting requirements and that information is accessible to the public through the Hazardous Materials Safety Data Sheets (SDS). Continuous Improvement : LEPCs regularly review and update emergency plans and procedures based on lessons learned from past incidents, changes in the community's demographics, and advancements in emergency management practices. In summary, a Local Emergency Planning Committee plays a vital role in creating a safer and more resilient community by bringing together diverse stakeholders to collaboratively plan for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disasters.

Were you impacted ? Were you impacted by the storm? Fill out the form and let us know. After you fill out the form, someone from our county's Volunteers Active in Disaster (VOAD) will contact you. Fill out the form HERE Generator Safety > Food Safety > Choosing a Contractor> Donate STAY CONNECTED Youtube See a collection of our latest PSAs and Press Conferences. Facebook Find all of our recents posts and LIVE videos here! X Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) for the latest news! Instagram Visually see what the EMA does on a daily basis! Dialing 2-1-1 connects you to a trained operator 24/7 that has access to a comprehensive database with a multitude of services in your community.

STAY ALERT Preparing for the worst. Working hard toward the best. Have at least 3 ways you can be alerted Having multiple ways to receive emergency alerts will help make sure you are always informed and ready to respond. LEARN MORE Ways to Stay Informed Anchor 1 RAVE ALERT SYSTEM WEATHER RADIO SOCIAL MEDIA WEATHER APPS Rave Alert is a notification system provided to you free by Calhoun County EMA. It is customizable and is the primary way we send out emergency alerts in the county. If there is severe weather in the county, the NOAA Weather Radio will go off. This is a great way to be alerted throughout the night when you may be sleeping. SAME CODE: 001015 Channel 4 During an event, our social media accounts are consistently updated. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). The links are below. Download local weather apps or the NOAA weather app to receive notifications about weather in your area. Click Here to Sign Up for FREE Emergency Alerts Outdoor Warning sirens Outdoor sirens are made to alert those outdoors who are in the path of a potential tornado in the area. They are NOT made to hear indoors. They only sound if they are within the National Weather Service tornado warning polygon. Sirens

Infectious Disease Preparedness A pandemic is a disease outbreak that spans several countries and affects a large number of people. Pandemics are most often caused by viruses, like COVID-19 , which can easily spread from person to person. Preventative Actions: Avoid close contact with sick people. Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. germs spread this way. Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germ like flu. If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.) Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. After using a tissue, throw it in the trash and wash your hands. Treatment: Most people with viruses have mild illness and do not need medical care or antiviral drugs. If you get sick with flu/COVID-19 symptoms, in most cases, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medical care. If, however, you have symptoms of flu/COVID-19-like symptoms and are in a high risk group, or are very sick or worried about your illness, contact your health care provider (doctor, physician assistant, etc.). CDC recommends prompt treatment for people who have flu infection or suspected flu infection and who are at high risk of serious flu complications, such as people with asthma, diabetes or heart disease. Additional Resources: Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) CDC Informational Series on 2019 Novel Coronavirus

Providing a blueprint to help organizations prepare their people and places for emergencies. The Emergency Management Agency (EMA) of Calhoun County is implementing the Preparedness Partners Program. The purpose of Preparedness Partners is to provide a blueprint to help organizations prepare their people and places for emergencies. The Program provides participating organizations free and critical resources including: Local Situational Awareness Alerts and Updates Checklists and information on how to prepare Individualized guidance from local emergency management professionals Physical signage and electronic logo designating organization as Preparedness Partner To successfully become a Preparedness Partner, organizations will complete 5 phases of readiness: Organizations in Calhoun County interested in learning more about becoming a Preparedness Partner can click the button below to register or you can always call the Emergency Management Agency at: 256-435-0540. Checklist Planning Partners Program No business will ever be disaster-proof. However, a business can be disaster resilient. This is the ability to withstand the impact of a disaster and continue as a strong, healthy organization.

Tornado Safety TORNADO WATCH A Tornado Watch is issued by the National Weather Service when conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes. The watch is intended to give you time to review your safety rules. Watches may last for several hours. TORNADO WARNING A Tornado Warning is issued by the National Weather Service when a tornado has been spotted or indicated by weather radar, meaning a tornado is occurring or expected soon. TAKE ACTION because there is imminent danger to life and property. Immediately seek refuge. VS. Have at least 3 ways you can be alerted Having multiple ways to receive emergency alerts will help make sure you are always informed and ready to respond. LEARN MORE Seek shelter immediately when a TORNADO WARNING is issued. What is a good shelter? Find a Shelter near YOU If you hear an outdoor siren going off, it means that that area is under a tornado warning and you need to find shelter immediately. Do you know what to do during a tornado warning? Get Inside A tornado warning is issued by the National Weather Service when a developing tornado has been detected by radar or has been reported on the ground by reliable sources. Get Low Get as low to the ground as possible. If you can, get below ground, in a cellar, basement, or storm shelter. Never use the crawlspace under your home for shelter-the house can collapse on top of you! If outside, with no other shelter available, you can go into a ditch, but be aware of possible flooding. Get Covered Cover your head using a football or bicycle helmet, pillows, and blankets. This is important. Head wounds are a leading cause of tornado-related injuries.

CALHOUN COUNTY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM The Calhoun County EMA offers internship opportunities to prepare present and future emergency management professionals to enter the public safety sector with the basic skills needed to function within an emergency management agency. Students who intern with the Calhoun County EMA will be able to use the experience to build resumes and gain valuable networking options as well as engage in projects to gain in-depth knowledge of the field. Click for more information: Deadline for Fall Applications: Date: July 31, 2026 Time: 4:00 PM What: Application and Resume For More Information Regarding the Calhoun County EMA Internship Program: Please click on each button to gain more insight into the program and what is required of you as an intern.

Be Prepared BE INFORMED CREATE A PLAN TAKE ACTION FIND OUT MORE HERE > OUTDOOR WARNING SIRENS 1. Not meant to be heard indoors They are useful for those participating in outdoor activities When you hear an outdoor siren, seek shelter immediately 2. They are on a POLYGON System When there is a tornado WARNING, the National Weather Service will draw a polygon around the track of the tornado. Only the sirens within the polygon will go off. If you hear a siren, it means the weather threat is NEAR. Take cover immediately. Outdoor sirens Have at least 3 ways you can be alerted Having multiple ways to receive emergency alerts will help make sure you are always informed and ready to respond. LEARN MORE Be Informed It is important to know the hazards in your community. These hazards can be natural, like severe weather, or man-made, such as a hazardous materials incident. Take time to discuss these hazards with your family, including how can prepare for them and how you will respond if faced with one. Some of the top natural hazards in Calhoun County include: Tornadoes Severe thunderstorms , high winds, and lightning Ice Storms Being informed also includes knowing how to get emergency information. In an emergency, you may hear information broadcast using something called the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The EAS provides emergency information on the radio, over TV channels, and on cable TV (some stations). Another important method of receiving emergency information is Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). WEA alerts are sent to smartphones capable of receiving them (most smartphones). You do not have to 'sign up' for these alerts--your phone will receive them automatically. It is important NOT to 'cancel' or 'disable' WEA alerts when you receive them, or you may not receive future alerts. A NOAA Weather Radio is an important item to have in your disaster supply kit because it not only lets your receive severe weather watches and warnings but it can also be a way authorities broadcast important information during an emergency. To ensure that you are receiving information for Calhoun County, make sure your radio is set to Channel 4 and S.A.M.E. county code 001015. For weather radio programming instructions, please visit this page hosted by the National Weather Service (NWS) in Birmingham: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bmx/?n=nwr An important part of being informed also means knowing your siren tones. In Calhoun County, we use different tones for tornadoes, a hazardous material accident, an attack on the United States, and siren tests The severe weather tone is a long, high pitched tone. The tone for a hazardous material accident is a high-low tone (like a European ambulance siren). The sound for the siren test, conducted the first Tuesday of each month at 4:00 PM, is a long wail tone. The sound for a hostile attack on the United States is a fast wail tone. Create an Emergency Plan Your family may not be together when a disaster strikes! It is important to plan in advance what you will do if a disaster happens and you are separated. You should talk with your family about: How you will contact each another, Where you will meet up and get back together, and What you will do in different situations, like being at work, at school, at nights, and on weekends, if one of you is out of town on business, etc. Talking about your plan now will help reduce fear and anxiety if a disaster happens. Here are some tips in mind when creating emergency plan: Create a list of addresses and phones numbers for the places where your family spends the most time along with family members’ cell phone numbers and work numbers. Each family member should have a copy of the list and a copy should be placed in your disaster kit. Identify meeting places in your neighborhood (in case of a house fire) and meeting places outside your neighborhood in case you have to evacuate. Select an out-of-town relative or friend to be the “family contact person”. After a disaster, it is often easier to make a long distance call than a local call. If separated, family members should call the “contact person” and tell him or her where they are. Everyone must know the contact’s name, address, and phone number. Know what to do if authorities instruct you to shelter in place or evacuate. Practice and maintain your plan by reviewing and updating it every six months or with any major changes in your family. Create a Kit Putting together a disaster supply kit requires very little time or money but can be invaluable to you in the days following a disaster. Most items in your kit should be in a sturdy, waterproof container and include the things your family will need (don’t forget the pets) for the first three days after a disaster You don’t have to create your kit in one day; take time each week to place a few of the items you need in your kit. Some suggested items include: Water, at least 1 gallon per person per day Non-perishable food and a manual can opener Paper cups, plates, plastic utensils, and paper towels Battery-powered radio and a NOAA weather radio with extra batteries for each Flashlights with extra batteries Hygiene products such as baby wipes, extra soap and shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, etc. Fire Extinguisher First Aid Kit Tools, including a wrench or pliers to turn off utilities Copies of important family documents, insurance policies, etc. Other things to think about putting in your kit: Comfort items for kids, such as books, puzzles, and toys Money, both cash and change, in case credit and debit cards do not work A complete change of clothing for each family member including a pair of sturdy shoes Prescription medications and extra glasses/contacts Specialty items for infants, the elderly or anyone in your home with special needs Be Informed Create a Plan Take Action

Contact If you have a life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1. For current weather conditions please visit http://www.calhounema.org/weather Submit Thank you for submitting. We will read and attend to your message as soon as possible. Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Office: 256-435-0540 | Fax: 256-435-0558 Address: 507 Francis St. W. Jacksonville, AL 36265 http://www.calhounema.org Relationships. Resources. Resilience.

Step 1: Conduct walk-throughs of the organization’s facility(s) with public safety professionals: Emergency Management Fire Department Law Enforcement Step 2: Build an organization preparedness kit, install equipment, and designate locations: NOAA Weather Radio(s) Fire Extinguisher(s) Automated External Defibrillator(s) Active Threat Defense Supplies Safer Places Evacuation Routes CLICK HERE to go to the next Readiness Phase: Share

SIGN UP FOR CALHOUN COUNTY EMA EMERGENCY ALERTS Opt-in to receive SMS, email, and voice alerts when emergencies impact your area! SIGN UP FOR ALERTS Sign up for emergency alerts to get important messages from Calhoun County EMA, including tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings, shelter-in-place orders, and other emergency information. You can choose which alerts you want to receive. If you were already signed up to receive emergency alerts from Calhoun County EMA, you do not need to sign up again. Your current registration will move to the new alert system.