Forest County’s Emergency Management Services agency was recognized by the National Weather Service for its severe weather preparedness at Thursday’s Forest County commissioners meeting.
Fred McMullen, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Pittsburgh, presented Randall Parrett, the county’s emergency management coordinator, with a StormReady sign.
McMullen said the StormReady designation means Forest County had a high level of storm preparedness with emergency plans and good reception and communication of weather warnings from the Weather Service.
He added that to date all the counties in Pennsylvania are storm ready, which is an accomplishment.
Phil Barker, the Western area director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, said the county and PEMA have a “partnership of preparedness.”
“If I get a call from Forest County I know something serious happened because you take care of yourselves. You are very resilient and a great county to work with,” Barker added.
In other business at Thursday’s meeting, it was announced that the tower shelter for the tower shelter project in Marienville has been ordered and the permit has been approved so the contractor may begin work on the site.
Commissioners chairman Bob Snyder said the county didn’t get the multimodal transportation grant it applied for to fund the replacement of the Mayburg bridge.
The county is still waiting to hear back on the other grant it applied for, Snyder added.