July 24, 2025 Meeting Minutes

Scioto County

Emergency Planning Committee

MEETING NOTICE

Thursday, July 24, 2025

12:30 PM

Conference Room

Scioto County Department of Job & Family Services

710 Court Street – Portsmouth, Ohio

AGENDA

I.         Approval of April 24, 2025, Meeting Minutes

II.     Financial Report

III.         Items of Business

a.    Safety Training

b.    2025 LEPC Exercise After Action Discussion

c.     Propane Emergency Responder Training

d.    LEPC SFY25 Financial Report

e.     LEPC 2025 Hazmat Plan Update

f.      EMA Planning Invoice

IV.          Updates

V.  Adjournment

*Next meeting will be October 23, 2025, at 12:30 PM.    

LEPC Meeting – July 24, 2025

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

July 24, 2025 – MEETING INFORMATION - MINUTES

The minutes from the April 24, 2025, LEPC meeting were emailed to the members for your review. Approval of minutes.

·         Motion: Approve minutes from April 24, 2025, meeting – made by Chip Maillet

·         Motion: Seconded by Debby Brewer

·         Vote: Unanimous approval

·         Resolved: Minutes from April 24, 2025, meeting approved with no modifications.

·         Modification: None

I.                    LEPC Financial Report for through the end of the Second Quarter of FY 2025:

Contract Services:         Generator Systems                          $ 587.00

                                                                           TOTAL      $     587.00

Purchased Services:      Professional Fire -                           $ 100.00

                                                                           TOTAL      $     100.00 

Fuel:                              Sunoco -                                          $   65.04

                                                                           TOTAL      $       65.04

YTD TOTAL:                                                                         $ 752.04

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

·         Motion: Approve financial report – made by Charles Thomas

·         Motion: Seconded by Jim Delabar

·         Vote: Unanimous approval

·         Resolved: Financial report was approved without modification.

II.                 Items of Business:

a.   Safety Training: With hot and humid weather here it’s important for all of us to know the signs of heat-related illnesses, especially for those who work outside every day and first responders. LEPC Chairman George Moore has more on the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke and how to provide timely and appropriate care.

Chairman Moore had a handout and reviewed the different types of heat emergencies with the group.

b.  2025 LEPC Exercise After Action Discussion: The 2025 LEPC Tabletop Exercise was held on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at the Washington Township Fire Department. On June 11, 2025, the exercise facilitator, Dan Endrizzi forwarded his review of the exercise. Mr. Endrizzi recommended to the SERC vote to issue an Order of Concur with the conduct of the exercise. A copy of the report was emailed to the LEPC members and the participants in the exercise. The objectives for the exercise included Notification of Response/Support Agencies, Incident Assessment, Incident Command, and Traffic and Assess Control. The facilitator and evaluators of the exercise felt that the exercise demonstrated all four objectives of the exercise. On Objective #1 – Notification of Response/Support Agencies, the evaluator felt that the exercise players met 6 out of the 6 available review points. On Objective #2 – Incident Assessment, the evaluator felt that the exercise players met 10 out of the 10 available review points. On Objective #3 – Incident Command, the evaluator felt that the exercise players met 10 out of the 10 available review points. On Objective #10 – Traffic and Access Control, the evaluator felt that the exercise players met 9 out of the 9 available review points.

No correctional actions were suggested, however there were several additional recommendations including the following:

Objective #1: 

1. Practice communications between agencies via radio.

2. Use the National Weather Service as a resource for weather info during incidents.

3. Make sure contact info for all agencies is update-to-date.

4. Advise dispatchers they are offered hazmat awareness training and incident command course.

5. Advise (dispatchers) they should use a prepared list of questions once it is determined to be a hazmat incident.

6. The document is updated by the dispatchers after incidents.

7. (Dispatchers) Use the ERG to determine what chemical is after notification of placard.

8. Code Red, used by EMA for mass notification – sheriff’s office administration has access to notification (system) as well.

Objective #2:

1. Great job looking at all area.

2. Traffic control – Traffic directions thought through well.

3. Took good control of how mutual aid departments get to the scene.     

Objective #3:

1. Clearly defines location of IC Post.

2. Needs to identify IC quickly.

3. Can not rely on EMA for (establishing) IC.

Objective #10:

1. Contact the National Weather Service for weather information and plume modeling.

2. (Scioto EMA) Pre plan with ODOT on highway detour.

3. Planning for the long term, such as if the bridge was destroyed and would be closed for a long time.

4. Live demo on propane was nice to have in this exercise.

A “Hot Wash” with the players and evaluators was held immediately following the exercise. The exercise players discussed their policies and procedures used during the table-top exercise and ways to improve response actions. The exercise evaluators reviewed their SERC Objectives sheets with the players and discussed minor recommendations. Below is a summary of the critique notes from the evaluation sheets and notable critique comments.

Strengths: The exercise players demonstrated a good working knowledge of each other’s capabilities and limitations. The Scioto County emergency responders are well trained and demonstrated a good working knowledge of their agency emergency procedures and agency SOP’s. The exercise players demonstrated good teamwork with each other, State agencies, and with mutual aid Fire companies. The Table-top exercise was designed and facilitated extremely well. The 30-minute Propane training awareness program presented by Arrick’s Propane was very beneficial.

Opportunities for Improvement: If not already available create checklists to ensure notification and actions are being carried out. Consider contacting the National Weather Service for real-time weather and wind direction. The NWS can also create plume mapping for HazMat spill. Define the location of the command post early in the event. Always seek to collect the USDOT# on the side of transportation carrier.

Deputy Director Lynn provided a high-level review of the exercise and recommendations. Also spoke about the CodeRED emergency notification system.

c.   Propane Responder Training: On Saturday, June 21, 2025, 23 local firefighters took part in Propane Emergency Responder Training, at South Webster Fire Department. The class involved four hours of classroom instruction and hands-on training. The class was sponsored by the LEPC and made possible by Arrick’s Propane and the Ohio Propane Gas Association.

Twenty-three first responders attended the all-day training at South Webster Fire Department. Thanks to Ralph Arrick for supporting this training opportunity and the OVFA for paying for the meals.

d.  LEPC SFY25 Financial Report: A copy of the Scioto LEPC Financial Report for the period of July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, has been submitted to the state. A copy of the report was emailed to the membership for review.     

Director Mullins reviewed the financial report with the group.

e.   LEPC Hazmat Plan: As required by ORC 3750, our Chemical Emergency Response and Preparedness Plan (Annex O of the Scioto EOP), also known as the “Hazmat Plan” must be submitted to the SERC for review and concurrence by October 17, 2025. Last year we submitted a “No Change Review Checklist” to the SERC. Since last year we have completely updated the plan based on the recommendations in the review of the plan made by Brody Davis in 2023.  

I emailed the membership a copy of the updated plan for review. I also emailed the membership a proposed Resolution to authorize the submission of the updated plan to the SERC. If there are no questions or suggested changes to the “Hazmat Plan” I would like to entertain a motion to take a vote on the Submission Resolution.

A resolution was presented for a vote on the revised and updated Hazmat Plan for Scioto County. The result was 28 in favor, 0 opposed and 0 abstained.

f.        EMA Planning Invoice: A copy of the invoice from Scioto EMA to the LEPC in the amount of $12,435 for planning services in 2025 was sent to the members. Are there any questions concerning the invoice. If not, we need a motion to pay the invoice when funds become available.

Director Mullins discussed the invoice and why it showed a slight increase over previous years. This was due to the anticipation of using LEPC  funds for the Propane class and some LEPC expenses were then taken out of the EMA budget. The class ended up not costing the LEPC any money, so the addition was to reimburse the EMA for LEPC expenses paid from EMA budget.

A vote was taken on the invoice.

·         Motion: Approve EMA Planning Invoice – made by Chris Kemper

·         Motion: Seconded by Chip Maillet

·         Vote: Unanimous approval

·         Resolved: EMA Planning Invoice was approved without modification.

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

Some highlights from the group were…

Roy Grimmett - Red Cross – Needs additional volunteers in Scioto County who can respond to call outs (house fires, etc.). Only has 2 volunteers in Scioto County.

Debby Brewer – PPD – New City building coming along very nicely. Still on schedule to move in near end of 2025. EMA will be relocated to the 4th floor of this building once complete.

Chris Smith – PCHD – Introduced April Mattingly to the group. She will be shadowing Chris for the next year with anticipation of her becoming the next Health Commissioner at the PCHD.

Nathan Polack – OEPA – Introduced himself to the group. Spoke of algae bloom that is currently happening in southern Ohio.

IV.              Adjournment

·                     Motion: To adjourn made by George Moore

·                     Motion: Seconded by Chip Maillet

·                     Vote: Unanimous approval

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