Grant County sheriff takes over EMS

EPHRATA — The Grant County Commissioners have voted unanimously to approve Sheriff Tom Jones’ request for a merger of Grant County Emergency Management and his department.

The decision was made after two public hearings, testimony and input from the Sheriff’s Office, Grant County’s Department of Emergency Management (GCEM), the public, and a number of partner agency representatives.

The merger will become effective Jan. 1. An advisory board will be formed to help facilitate current and future county-wide emergency management needs.

Sandi Duffey, GCEM’s Interim Director, will continue to maintain all successfully existing programs and missions. They include Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), ongoing tabletop exercises, public awareness, community outreach, and personal contact with all emergency service providers currently being conducted by GCEM.

According to Jones, the integration of GCEM into the 116-person-strong Sheriff’s Office will allow for sustained and consistently coordinated operations during emergencies.

“Day-to-day operations will also improve due to functioning within a public safety team environment and include bolstering GCEM with additional personnel,” he said.

Commissioner Cindy Carter said: “Not only do we expect our partnerships with all communities to remain strong, but the public can expect improvement in the emergency management services offered through the advantages of increased staffing and a broadened range of resources.”