CHRIS JENNINGS / HERALD DEMOCRAT
From left Sarah Somers, Hank Sibley, Philip Mongaeu and Sherrie Copeland were all present at the Commissioners court meeting in Sherman for the announcement of a new Disaster District Committee that will encompass Grayson, Fannin and Cooke counties.
A reorganization of a state agency led to some really good news for Grayson County Tuesday and the need for more space in the county’s Office of Emergency Management.
“We have enjoyed a strong funding partnership that has helped offset the cost of staffing and equipment for our Emergency Operations Center which was open in 2009. It is easy to see those improvements we have made … Seeing the improvement we are announcing today takes a little closer look,” said Grayson County Emergency Manager Sarah Somers. “The good news is a DPS organizational change which results in increased presence of DPS personnel on the ground and serving Grayson County as well as Cooke and Fannin counties, and most importantly, located with us,” Somers said.
She explained that the Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Texas Highway Patrol has approved the creation of a new Disaster District Committee area 22 in Sherman. The post will serve Highway Patrol District sub ID which includes the counties of Grayson, Cooke and Fannin counties. The chairman for that position will be Lt. Hank Sibley and a second position, one for a district coordinator, will be filled in the future. Both of those positions will be posted in the Grayson County Courthouse.
Somers said that is good for the people of Grayson County and its neighbors because in the past, when disaster struck here, local officials had to call for help from a Disaster District Committee chair and district coordinator in a region outside of Grayson County. The local officials then had to wait to hear back from those people and in some cases, she said, had to wait in line behind other areas that also needed a response.
This way she said, those officials are on the ground in Grayson County and can consider the impact of a disaster on this area first hand.
“The establishment of this DDC was made possible, in large part, through the commitment of Grayson County leadership to implement and support a joint operations center and office space where our state and local partners can coordinate state and local resources in a more efficient and effective manner,” Somers read from a statement prepared by W. Nim Kidd, assistant director of Texas Department of Public Safety, chief of Texas Division of Emergency Management.
“We are excited by these changes. We will have someone here in the courthouse working with us day to day on making Cooke, Fannin and Grayson county area stronger,” Somers said. She said they will use space freed up by moving the Community Supervision Department to house the new Emergency Management people.
Lt. Hank Sibley, Sup district Commander of Highway Patrol in Sherman, addressed the group first. “When I came here one of my responsibility was going to be DDC for this (Council of Governments), … I would like to commend Judge Bynum, commissioners and Sarah for being forward thinking and approaching us when we first got here …. for coming out basically giving us this offer to co-locate with y’all so that we can work together. I think its going to be an outstanding relationship. I see as being progressive and being the future of a lot of DDCs probably state wide on a smaller basis. It will put somebody here locally to answer directly to put a request into the state. From Highway Patrol perspective, it looks like the best of both worlds for us.”
Phillip Mogeau, regional state coordinator for Region I Texas Division of Emergency Management, “first thing it is going to do (to make things safer) is getting Sarah off my back.” he teased. In all honesty it is due to the tenacity of Sarah and the Judge in getting us here.”
“I have quickly realized that it is not the urban areas that we serve that much. With the help of Sherry Copeland and (others) you realize that our services are most benefited in (places like) Sherman,” Mogeau. He said he thinks the partnership will be the beginning of a great thing for serving people quickly in the event of an emergency.
Sherry Copeland said she plans to stay involved even though someone will be taking her place as district coordinator.
“I am obviously excited about this. It has been a goal of mine for five years to make Grayson County a safer place,” said Grayson County Judge Drue Bynum. “I think this helps us do that.” He thanked the commissioners for their help and support of the process as it went along.
