Simons said she attended a July 1 webinar from the Kansas Division of Emergency Management (KDEM) on preparedness, including insurance pitfalls during disasters. She also worked with the Linn County sheriff, undersheriff, rural fire, and information technology staff to develop standard operating guides (SOG) for the command trailer, including setup and teardown directives, in response to the April tornado event. The coordinator added that a local emergency planning committee (LEPC) meeting on July 23 at the health department drew 22 attendees, with guest speakers from KDEM and the Red Cross, and that the next quarterly meeting is scheduled for Jan. 27 in Pleasanton.
In August, Simons served as an evaluator for an exercise titled “Jefferson County Earthquake.” She also taught CPR, first aid, and AED classes to the transportation department at Pleasanton USD 344, with additional CPR trainings set for September. She helped move disaster readiness forward by bringing together public works and city officials to coordinate temporary debris sites by city, then completing and submitting a county debris management plan for state approval.
Simons also reported involvement with the Everbridge working group for the northeast region and attendance at additional KDEM webinars and regional emergency management association activities.