Planning for Safety: The Pulaski County LEPC

Chemical disasters can happen anywhere, especially in rural Indiana. Incidents involving hazardous materials can occur at small town factories, stone quarries and along railroad tracks that transport dangerous materials and substances. Having a detailed plan on how to respond to an event like this in Pulaski County is essential – that's when the Pulaski County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) steps in. The LEPC has two major roles: Develop and manage the emergency response plans pertaining to accidental chemical releases from facilities and distribute information to the public. The committee also serves as a community focal point for discussion on hazardous substance risks and planning. Along with these responsibilities, the LEPC hosts a training exercise every year for emergency responders to participate in. These can be full-scale, functional or tabletop and are specifically designed to test the county's hazardous materials emergency response plan by requiring all participants to respond to a mock incident that involves some kind of chemical release. Full disclosure: Megan Galbreath serves as a member of the LEPC as a media representative.