County, city to consider combining emergency planning committees

By: John Crane | GoDanRiver.com
Published: June 28, 2009

Pittsylvania County and the City of Danville are considering whether to merge their emergency planning committees.

Members of the two entities will discuss the idea at a joint meeting Thursday at the Institute for Advanced Learning & Re-search.

The biggest reason the committees are thinking about merging is the issue of hazardous materials, said David Eagle, Danville Fire Chief and chairman of the city’s Emergency Planning Committee.

“When you have a chemical problem (such as a spill), it’s very likely it’s going to affect the city and the county,” Eagle said.

It was a deadly chemical spill in India that spurred Congress to pass legislation requiring localities to form their own emergency planning committees, Eagle said. They’re formed to provide information about chemicals in the community to residents. Industries are required to send reports to the committees about the chemicals they’re using, Eagle said.

There are industries in the area which report to both the city and county emergency committees, Eagle said. The two committees have some of the same members and also provide input in the formation of community emergency plans, Eagle said.

Thursday’s meeting will include a presentation from an official with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management on how local committees can merge, said Jim Davis, Pittsylvania County’s director of emergency management.

The emergency planning committees include officials from the Red Cross, social services, law enforcement, local industries, the health department, hospital, fire-and-rescue association, Virginia Department of Transportation, schools, cities, towns and counties.

• Contact Crane at jcrane@registerbee.com or 434-791-7987.