January 23, 2026 Meeting Minutes

Scioto County

Emergency Planning Committee

MEETING NOTICE

January 22, 2026

12:30 PM

Conference Room

Scioto County Department of Job & Family Services

710 Court Street – Portsmouth, Ohio

AGENDA

I.         Approval of October 23, 2025, Meeting Minutes

II.     Financial Report

III.         Items of Business

a.    Safety Training

b.    2026 LEPC Grant Resolution

c.     2026 LEPC Exercise

IV.          Updates

V.  Adjournment

*Next meeting will be April 23, 2026, at 12:30 PM.

LEPC Meeting – January 22, 2026

The meeting was called to order at 12:30 PM in the conference room of Scioto County Job & Family Services by Information & Emergency Response Coordinator Larry Mullins. A quorum was established.

Attendance is as follows: (P) = Present (A) = Absent (E) = Excused (V) = Virtual 

Guests: None Present

Scioto County

Local Emergency Planning Committee

January 22, 2026 – MEETING INFORMATION

I.                    The minutes from the October 23, 2025, LEPC meeting were emailed to the members for your review. Approval of minutes.

·         Motion: Approve minutes from October 23, 2025 meeting – made by Chip Maillet

·         Motion: Seconded by Robert Woodford

·         Vote: Unanimous approval

·         Resolved: Minutes from October 23, 2025 meeting approved with no modifications.

II.                 LEPC Financial Report for through the end of the Fourth Quarter of FY 2025:

Cell Phones:                  AT&T & T-Mobile                         $ 555.71

                                                                           TOTAL      $     555.71

Contract Services:         Scioto EMA for Planning-              $12,435.00

Generator Systems-                     $     587.00

                                                                           TOTAL      $13,022.00 

Purchase Services:        Pro Fire-                                      $ 100.00

                                       MARCS Radio Fees                       $ 315.00

                                                                           TOTAL      $     415.00

Equipment:                    Laptop Computer-                           $  1,018.86

                                                                           TOTAL      $  1,018.86

Fuel:                              Sunoco -                                          $  173.86

                                                                           TOTAL      $      173.86

Supplies:                        Battery for Backup Generator -      $  187.19

                                                                           TOTAL      $       187.19

Food:                             Nancy’s Country Kitchen -             $   1,115.00

                                                                           TOTAL      $   1,115.00  

YTD TOTAL:                                                                         $ 16,487.62

·         Financial Report given by Information and Emergency Response Coordinator Larry Mullins

·         Motion: Approve financial report – made by James Delaber

·         Motion: Seconded by Chris Kemper

·         Vote: Unanimous approval

·         Resolved: Financial report was approved without modification.

III.              Items of Business:

a.       Safety Message: EMA Deputy Director Lynn gave a safety message addressing Lithium-Ion batteries in the home.

b.  2026 LEPC Grant Resolution: In preparation for the 2026 LEPC Grant application the LEPC passed a resolution authorizing Director Mullins to execute, file and provide any additional information to the SERC on behalf of the LEPC. A copy of the proposed resolution was sent to all the committee members for review.

A vote was called on the resolution: The ayes were 39 and the nays were 0

The result was the resolution passed.

c.       2026 LEPC Exercise: This year a new four-year LEPC exercise cycle begins, so the 2026 LEPC annual exercise will be a Tabletop exercise.

d.       

The members of the Exercise Planning Committee are George Moore, chairperson, James Parsley, Jim Delabar, Bill Lynn, and Larry Mullins. The first planning meeting was held January 12, 2026. The exercise date has been set for Saturday, April 4, 2026. South Webster and Vernon fire departments have agreed to be involved. The  objectives for the exercise include Incident Command, Communications, Population Protective Actions, Emergency Public Information, and Traffic and Access Control.

IV.              Updates

The meeting concluded with a roundtable of various agencies updating the group on the latest activities at their agencies.

Deputy Director Lynn updated the group on the Lithium-Ion battery training.

Scioto EMA has secured a grant to hold a Lithium-Ion Battery Emergency Training. The class will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the Washington Township Fire Department in West Portsmouth. This will be a 6-8 hour class with a hands-on component with a training Tesla automobile. Signups are currently open. The class is free and open to Fire, EMS, and Law Enforcement.

Chris Niziol from ODOT – As the winter storm is expected this weekend, all plows are loaded and ready. Pre-treatment will begin Friday and crews will begin 2 12-hour shifts on Saturday for the duration of the storm.

Brody Davis from Ohio EMA – The National Weather Service is prediction 8-12” of snow for the area. More will follow in a steady-state advisory today. The Scioto County Haz-mat play was approved at the Oct 2025 SERC meeting. The plan had no recommendations and was well put together. The open EM Specialist job for our region should be posted soon by the State.

Portsmouth Council Member Andy Cole, Chris Neff, Dennis Packard and David Malone were all present.

Andy Cole asked about the Hazard Mitigation plan that was given to Council to pass. He felt the 1,000 page document was really well prepared and contained a lot of good information.

Chris Neff – Stated that the Portsmouth City Council had a priority of working together and that they were there for the LEPC if anything arises that they can assist with.

Dennis Packard – With the snow approaching and the detours and roads closed in parts of Sciotoville, Dennis inquired if parts of Swager Valley could be made a priority for road crews. He was going to get with Mike Merchon from Porter Township following the meeting to discuss this further.

David Malone – Appreciated the invitation and was looking forward to working with everyone.

Debby Brewer from Portsmouth Police Department- The department finally has a armored vehicle after 5 years of working toward this.

Jane Jarrells from the Salvation Army – Stated that all warming station activities are now being handled by Abby Spears and her group and being hosted at ASCEND Rehab ay 729 6th Street Portsmouth and TCC Drop-in Center at 802 Washington Street.

Michael Sherron form ODOT – Spoke about the information available on the ODOT TIM webpage and also stated he would like to see a OTIMS class be held in Scioto County. This is a free 3.5 hour class on roadway accident safety for all first responders.

Charles Thomas from Ohio Homeland Security – Coming soon, their drones will be able to send a link to a cell phone so the video feed could be viewed in real time by the Incident Commander. Also, they have drone detection available now and can be used to identify where the operator is flying the drone from.

V.                Adjournment

Motion: To adjourn made by George Moore

Motion: Seconded by Jim Delabar

Vote: Unanimous approval

The meeting adjourned at approximately 1:15 p.m.

Scioto County

Emergency Planning Committee

729 6th Street- Lower Suite

Portsmouth, Ohio 45662

(740) 355-8300

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS        the Scioto County Local Emergency Planning Committee was designated by the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) in 1987.

WHEREAS       the Scioto County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) consists of members who were appointed by SERC.

WHEREAS       some hazardous substance(s) emergency planning has been performed by the LEPC and the LEPC would like to have emergency planning funds from SERC to continue that planning effort.

THEREFORE, BE RESOLVED,

                             1.        The Scioto County LEPC request that the SERC award them a grant from the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know fund for the purposes of developing, preparing, reviewing, exercising, or revising their chemical emergency response and preparedness plans.

                             2.        A Special Emergency Planning Fund has been established by the Scioto    County Auditor’s Office to receive chemical        emergency planning funds and other funds collected in accordance with Chapter 3750 (ORC) to be deposited into the county treasury.                           3.        Funds from the Special Emergency Planning Fund will only be expended for the purposes outlined in Chapter 3750 (ORC).

                             4.        The Scioto County LEPC will enter into a grant agreement with the SERC

                             5.        Larry Mullins, LEPC Information Coordinator, is authorized to execute, file, and provide any additional required information to the SERC on behalf of the Scioto County LEPC.         

This Resolution is adopted on this 22 day of January 2026  by a vote of the Scioto Local

Planning Committee members present as follows:

    39 For the Resolution 0 Against the Resolution 0 Abstentions

In consideration of the above, the Scioto County Local Emergency Planning Committee sets

forth its signatures on this 22nd day of January 2026.

             George Moore                                                                              Larry Mullins

             LEPC Chairman                                                              LEPC Information Coordinator

Lithium-Ion Battery Safety in the Home

In 2025, the global lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery market was 100.4 billion USD, over 50% of was used for the EV automotive market.

Lithium Ion batteries come in many sizes and shapes: AA, AAA, buttons or coin batteries (Lithium, Cadmium, Mercury, or Silver), flat stock and even unique shaped batteries, when built into the products. Lithium-ion batteries power many things including e-bikes, scooters, hoverboards, smart phones, laptops, cameras, remote controls, smoke detectors, key fobs, watches, hearing aids, power tools and many toys. They charge faster and last longer than traditional batteries. These batteries can store large amounts of energy in a small space. They contain 6 times the amount of stored energy as the same size lead acid battery. However, if not treated properly, damaged lithium-ion batteries can easily overheat, creating thermal runaway (rapid rise in temperature from 100 F up to 1,800 F in 1 second, self-produces O2 as the battery decomposes), which can cause large, violent fires. Most gasoline automobile fires can be extinguished with less than 1,000 gallons of water compared to the same size EV automobile which may require between 3,000 and 30,000 gallons of water to fully extinguish.

Approximately 5,000 residential fires result each year from lithium-ion batteries. Everyday electronics—smartphones, laptops, and tablets—constitute the most prevalent sources of lithium battery fires in the home. These devices face increased risk factors through:

• Daily charging cycles and frequent physical handling of the devices

• Heat accumulation during charging, especially when devices rest on soft surfaces

• Restricted airflow due to the compact design of modern electronics

• Damage from drops, impacts, or exposure to extreme temperatures

In essence, a small lithium-ion fire has the potential to grow into a large self-sustaining inferno, demanding vast resources to control. 

Charging Safety

• Charge on a hard, flat, non-combustible surface (like countertop or tile), never on beds, couches, or on or under pillows.

• Never charge near doors or escape routes.

• Never charge while you’re sleeping or while you're away from home.

• Use only the charger that came with your device; avoid power strips. If you need to buy a new charger, make sure the replacement is approved by the device manufacturer. Just because a charger fits in your device doesn’t mean that it is safe to use.

• Monitoring: Watch for heat, swelling or bulging, leaking, any odors, or popping, cracking, hissing or any other odd sounds; discontinue use if these occur. 

 Storage & Handling

• Temperature: Li-Ion batteries are extremely sensitive to high temperatures. It is important to keep batteries at room temperature, away from direct sunlight or extreme cold.

• Away from Flammables: Store batteries and devices away from anything flammable.

• Protect from Damage: Try not to drop the battery or device.

·         Loose Batteries: Keep spare batteries in protective cases and away from metal objects like keys or coins. Phone charger in coin tray in automobiles.

Disposal

In 2022, there was a 19% increase in fires at recycling facilities in the US, largely due to incorrectly disposed batteries.

• Trash: Do not throw Li-ion batteries in the regular garbage or recycling bins due to fire risk. Lithium-ion batteries are a fire hazard if they are damaged or crushed during transportation or sorting.

• Recycle Properly: Take them to household hazardous waste facilities or store drop-off locations. Lawrence/Scioto County Solid Waste District, Livingstons Company or Lowes. Also, local household hazardous waste days.

• When You Dispose: Place batteries in individual plastic bags and/or tape ends to prevent sparking before disposing of them.

What to Do If Damaged/Overheated

• Inspect for damage regularly: Regularly check your device and batteries for broken, cracked, bulging or discolored cases.

• Stop & Remove: Immediately stop using the device.

• Safe Removal: If safe, move the device outdoors or to a non-combustible container away from flammable materials.

• Call 911: If you see smoke or fire, evacuate and call for emergency services. 

• Do not try to put the fire out yourself: Lithium-ion battery fires spread quickly, aggressively, and can become explosive or reignite. Water may not prevent a battery from burning and fire extinguishers (ABC or BC as these are considered class B liquid fires) do not work well on large lithium-ion battery fires. The safest decision you can make is leave the area immediately and call 9-1-1.

Look for possible recalls at: US Consumer Product Safety Commission - https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls