Expert to speak on emergency preparedness

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By Stan Welch
Mayors, emergency preparedness experts, and county officers will gather Friday morning to hear from one of the state’s leading experts on emergency preparedness and disaster planning.

Stan McKinney, Director of the South Carolina Emergency Management Department, will be on hand to offer his insight and expertise. McKinney is also assistant director of Homeland Security in South Carolina, and teaches the topic at several institutions. Local mayors will be on hand, as well as county officials, both elected and otherwise.

County administrator Rusty Burns said, “It is very timely, as the Southeastern United States watches Hurricane Isaac approaching, that we have Mr. McKinney in town to share his perspective on such events and how to prepare for them. Of course, emergencies can come in many forms and while hurricanes are less of a threat to us in the Upstate, many of the steps involved in preparedness are essentially the same.”

Williamston Mayor Carthel Crout said that the Anderson County Emergency Preparedness Department, under director Taylor Jones, does an excellent job of “keeping in touch with us, and other municipalities in the county. When storms are coming, or other situations arise, they are quick to communicate with us. But it is also the responsibility of our first responders to be aware and prepared, and that is what this event is about. I look forward to seeing what we can do for one another, because cooperation is a key in this area.”