Breckel Updates on Clinton County Emergency Management Agency

"[Sharing emergency updates] is entirely about getting prepared, getting the information out there... I try to make sure that I give people information that they can act on," stated Thomas Breckel, Director of the Clinton County Emergency Management Agency (EMA), located at 1850 Davids Drive.

Breckel grew up in Wilmington, attending Wilmington High School and participating in the local Boy Scouts Troop. After graduating high school, he went into the United States Marine Corp. Upon his return, he went to Wright State University and worked nights at Airborne. Breckel later had a career in business marketing, before rejoining the armed forces by going into the Air Force after 9/11. He retired from the service 28 years later and almost immediately took on the director position at the EMA.

Previously, the EMA was called Disaster Services before it changed to its current name in 1989.The formation of the agency was prompted by the state of Ohio's Emergency Management Association, but its formation was approved by all the local townships and municipalities.

According to Breckel, the main purpose of the office is to ensure residents plan for emergency situations, not just have a plan. Breckel stated, "A lot of people spend a lot of time writing something that no one is gonna read, versus trying to design a plan that is intended to be used."

The agency focuses on preparing those in the county for many hazards, including floods, extreme heat, explosions, hazardous material spills, power outages, tornadoes, cyber-security issues, and more. Breckel shared that the county looks at those situations from a "planning standpoint" and has different plans prepared for different scenarios and emergency situations.

The emergency management website features many resources for families, including steps to make a plan and what to consider. Residents can also subscribe to the Clinton County Emergency Alerts for live, text alerts regarding emergencies in Clinton County.

In addition to planning, the emergency management agency has hosted National Weather Spotter training, Red Cross Shelter training, and active aggressor training with the county schools.

To learn more about the Clinton County Emergency Management Agency, visit cc-ema.org.