Oct. 23, 2002 Forsyth County Sheriff Ted Paxton has been selected by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) to serve on the All Hazards Council for Area Six, a 21-county district. The All Hazards Council is a group organized to develop response and recovery strategies for all potential hazards, from man-made to criminal/terrorist related. Sheriff Paxton is one of two sheriffs that will be serving on the council for Area Six which includes Forsyth, Cherokee, Dawson, Pickens, Gilmer, Fannin, Murray, Whitfield, Gordon, Bartow, Paulding, Coweta, Carroll, Heard, Haralson, Polk, Floyd, Chattooga, Walker, Dade, and Catoosa counties. Other members include fire chiefs, EMA directors, mayors, chiefs of police, 911 directors, EMS directors and county commissioners. There will be eight different regions set up throughout the state. GEMA will be coordinating the councils and working with them to identify critical regional infrastructure and potential terrorism targets in the state. The councils will be preparing response plans dealing with evacuation, getting medical aid and supplies to areas if a hazard occurs, and working with other emergency agencies throughout the state and other states, as well as federal agencies, in receiving mutual aid. The councils will also be coordinating training and exercises with emergency personnel on what response should take place if a terrorist event or other hazard occurs. Another goal of the council will be to establish a Citizen Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. All of the eight councils were to be established by Oct. 1. |
