LEPC for Carson County, Groom, Panhandle, Skellytown and White Deer Carson County was established in 1876 and is located in the Texas Panhandle just east.

LEPC for Carson County, Groom, Panhandle,

Skellytown and White DeerCarson County was established in 1876 and is located in the Texas Panhandle just east of Amarillo, Texas.

There are 1,586 residents in the county and 4,524 residents in the communities of Groom, Panhandle, Skellytown, White Deer and parts of Fritch. Total 6,110 residents.

It has 900 square miles which includes I-40, HWY 60, HWY 207, HWY 152.

City of Panhandle is the county seat .

Sun rise between White Deer & Panhandle

First Responders• Carson County Sheriff Department-Sheriff, Chief

Deputy, Captain, three deputies• City of Groom relies on the Sheriff’s department for

law enforcement.• City of Panhandle Police Dept-Chief, three city police• City of Skellytown-City Marshall/Part Time• City of White Deer-City Marshall• Four Fire Departments-Groom, Panhandle,

Skellytown and White Deer. • Three EMS-Groom, Panhandle and White Deer• EMC (Emergency Management Coordinator) & ASST.

Carson County LEPC

• In 1999 Lewis Powers was elected as Carson County Judge and was introduced into the world of Emergency Management and into the operations of LEPC.

• From 1999 till date Judge Powers has had four secretaries three of which have been secretary/treasurer for the LEPC. Judge Powers has provided support for each secretary to perform the duties of LEPC.

Carson County LEPC

• During the first couple of years after Judge Powers was elected, the LEPC was going through a re-organizational phase.

• He along with the commissioners court and elected officials from each city has supported and allowed this program to grow to what it is to this date.

Carson County LEPC

• We have taken the LEPC Handbook and developed By-Laws for Carson County LEPC.

• LEPC consists of Chairperson-DPS Officer; Vice Chairperson-Sheriff; and Secretary/Treasurer-Brenda Vermillion.

• We submit to the local newspapers an annual report of the LEPC and submit an updated Membership for to the Technological Hazard Unit of TDEM

Members of LEPC

• Carson County LEPC members include:DPS, TDEM Liaison, Pantex/TDEM Liaison, Pantex, DOE, Cities elected and employees, County Judge, Commissioners, Road & Bridge, Sheriff Dept., Police Depts., EMS, Fire Dept., Oil & Gas Companies, Red Cross, Private Businesses, BNSF, Utility Companies, TXDOT, DSHS, Schools.

Pantex

• Pantex Plant, located 17 miles northeast of Amarillo, Texas, in Carson County, is charged with maintaining the safety, security and reliability of the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile. The facility is managed and operated by B&W Pantex for the U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. Additional information of B & W Pantex can be found at www.pantex.com

Farming in the County

Carson County currently has 13 privately owned grain elevators in the county. These elevators are used for wheat, Milo, corn, soybeans.

The county also has one cotton gin which has been operating since 2004. For the past six year the cotton gin has produced approximately 300,000 bales of cotton.

Wind Farms

Wind Farms Near White Deer

Transmission Project

*Carson County Cotton Gin *Carson County Feed - 20,000 head of cattle *Britten Cattle Company *Carson County Airport*Family Care Clinic in Panhandle*St.Ann’s Nursing Home*Saint Joseph’s Home*Stamps Spraying Services*Attebury Grain Company

* Robinson Grain Company* K & K Company* Warminski 4-Skies Spraying Service

* Eagle Rock Oil Company *Enterprise Oil Company * Conoco Phillips* Kinder Morgan* NuStar* Schaffer Oil Company* OneOak Oil Company* Chessepeak Oil Company* El Paso Oil Company* Cabot Oil Company* Williams Oil Company* Blueknight* BNSF Railroad*Southern Pacific Railroad Company* Vibra Whirl Company (install turf for tracks etc)*Arrington Ranch*6666 Ranch*3-Locally owned newspapers-Panhandle Herald established July 22, 1887- longest continuing running business in the Texas PanhandleWhite Deer News-established 1959; Groom News established 1925,

LEPC Activities

LEPC Activities• LEPC helps sponsor activities which includes:• Booths at 4th of July Celebration in Panhandle;

White Deer Kick Back Day celebration; and Groom Day celebration.

• It also sponsors booth at Panhandle Health Fair and has helped sponsor the White Deer Health Fair.

• Presented programs at local organizations: Senior Citizens, Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs, local churches.

Activities

• We purchased:• Posters- (Pet Need a Disaster Plan Too); Help or

OK Posters.• Pet Alert Stickers• Bookmarks-Fire Prevention, (2) different

Tornado Safety Tips, Flu, and Tornado Safety Tips for Children ( Carson County is in tornado alley)

• Order free information from FEMA

Activities

• Held an Emergency Preparedness Safety contest for students at all schools in Carson County. We gave a 1st, 2nd 3rd place awards.

• Disaster Preparedness Books• Receive all Tier Two Reports in the County• We sponsored the 1st Annual Blood Drive in

Memory of Blaze Coffee

Incident Command Trailer

• Conoco Phillips helped with the funding of trailer. We purchased the cabinets, and counter tops and had a prison, that is located at Pampa, install all the cabinets.

• Through a grant of Local COG-PRPC we purchased a P-25 compliant radio and a local company installed the radio for us.

• LEPC has purchased some of supplies for the trailer-computer, printer, scanner.

• Emergency Notification to our citizens we use CodeRed.

Command Trailer

Command Trailer

Training• TEEX: HazMat• TDEM• TAC (Texas Association of Counties) since 2000 County has received 5

Safety Awards; 6 Gold Star Awards; 2 Best Practice Awards and 2 Making a Difference Award

• BNSF:• NWS Storm Spotter Training• Storm Ready County• Pantex-• PIO Training with TDEM and Pantex• DSHS• PRPC (Panhandle Regional Planning Commission) • Attended past LEPC conferences

Exercises

• Tabletop exercise• Functional Exercises• Full Scale

Tabletop

Every year Carson County participates in an exercise with Enterprise Oil Company, either a tabletop or full scale

One of the past tabletop held with Enterprise Oil Company.

Functional POD (Point of Dispensing) –DSHS training in 2009.

We are scheduled to have another POD training this April.

Full Scale

How Do We Do It

• Carson County sends yearly letters to business in within the county.

• Grants-HEMP through TDEM• Oil & Gas Companies• Published material order free from FEMA

Publishing

Keeping Interest for LEPC

• More people are willing to donate a $100.00 rather than their time. Arranging events and items of interest is more difficult than having funds.

• We have tried to move the LEPC meetings to different towns, different times and without success. We decided to leave the meetings in Panhandle and to have the meeting at noon every other month and the third Tuesday of the month.

• Questions

Brenda Vermillion,Carson County Emergency ManagementCoordinator [email protected]

End of the Day in Carson County!!!