Ripley County LEPC has awards luncheon
Mary Margaret Moorhead - Staff Writer

Four members of the Ripley County LEPC received awards for years of service during a luncheon meeting at the Yellow Dog Tavern & Eatery in Versailles on Tuesday, January 10.

Chairperson Pat Thomas recognized both Janice Hosmer and Dan Mulford for ten years membership in LEPC and Robert Garcia and Tony Mayberry for five years each.

Special recognition went to Dave Rayner for establishing the website and Esther Edmondson for her assistance during the county's Ag Day.

During the business session, several trainings were announced. Janice Hosmer reported on a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) team training in Lawrenceburg the weekend of January 13-14. Another will be offered in March at the Community Mental Health Building in Lawrenceburg.

She noted the training is for volunteers who go to the scene of an incident to assist in defusing reactions. "We need people from all walks of life," Hosmer said. The training covers a seven-county area.

Other trainings announced have to do with the National Incident Management System (NIMS), which the Department of Homeland Security says are mandatory by September 2006. The Osgood Fire Department is the site for one of these on January 16 at 7:00 p.m.

Hosmer announced an EMT meeting on March 9 at 6:00 p.m. at the Rehab Center in Batesville and an upcoming CPR training for the county highway department as well as law enforcement officers.

Thomas noted she would make reservations for anyone wanting to attend an Indiana Pipeline Awareness meeting on February 7 at 5:30 p.m. at Belterra.

She also discussed a credentialing system with badges and ID's for county officials and others who might be involved in emergency situations. This should be in operation within the next month.

Seventeen members attended the luncheon meeting. Each received an LEPC portfolio with a calculator and a Ripley County LEPC desk planner. The next meeting will be March 14 at 1:00 p.m. at the Rehab Center in Batesville.