Commissioners tackle emergency notifications
Chambers County Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator Jeffery Choate (front left) and Fire Marshal and EMC Ryan Holzaepfel are recognized for earning their recertifications as emergency managers. Showing support are Chambers County Commissioners Ryan Dagley (back left), Tommy Hammond, Mark Tice and Jimmy Gore, along with County Judge Jimmy Sylvia (front right).
ANAHUAC— County commissioners met last week with emergency personnel to discuss alert systems, both current and potential.
Chambers County Commissioners Court held a regular meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 26, discussing the Chambers Warns notification system and a potential new siren system for disasters.
County Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Coordinator Ryan Holzaepfel provided a bit of information on the current alert system in place, and Deputy EMC Jeffery Choate explained his vision for a new alert system.
Chambers Warns, the current system uses email, text, or call notices to inform county residents of disasters, and will provide details about road closures, water stations and other resources during hurricanes.
Alerts can be applied to the entire county or to a specific area, depending on storm predictions or other emergencies.
Additionally, the Office of Emergency Management can receive responses through text replies, and the system allows for polls, which can be used to determine the number of people without power.
Holzaepfel encourages residents, business owners, and anyone who works or spends time in the county to sign up for the notifications.
Users can choose the type of alerts they want and how they prefer to be alerted. To sign up, visit chamberswarns.gov.
Choate discussed a siren system for tornadoes, chemical plant spills, or other emergencies.
Choate said that if the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning, the sirens would automatically activate, and they have lightning detection capabilities.
Choate noted Mont Belvieu and Baytown have sirens in place in some areas, but the goal is to have sirens at each fire station in the county.
Choate said the first siren system will be installed at the county’s Station 2 location, chosen to alert the nearby neighborhoods of potential chemical spills, and he hopes the next one will be at the Beach City Volunteer Fire Station, followed by the West Side Sports Complex.
It would cost about $50,000 for each siren system, and Choate said he’ll continue applying for grants.
Commissioners updated the purchasing policy, increasing the competitive bidding threshold to $100,000 and increasing the minimum purchase amount to $15,000 to meet the standards of Senate Bill 1173, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed in late May.
The court approved replacing the roof of the historic Dr. Nicholas Shilling home and installing an HVAC system for just under $43,000.
The Chambers Parkway Soccer Complex will see new lighting as commissioners approved the installation for just under $999,000.