Masters
Mitchell County Commissioner Harley Masters completed the 100 Counties Prepared Emergency Preparedness for County Officials training program, held this past month at the State Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh.
The training equips elected officials with the knowledge and tools needed to effectively lead responses before, during and after emergencies such as natural disasters, public health crises and other critical incident situations.
“I think it is very important that elected officials be proactive and prepared when it comes to emergency situations, so for me, it was a no-brainer that I took this class,” Masters said. “Overall, I enjoyed the training. I made a lot of good contacts and gained knowledge that can be implemented here in Mitchell County that will benefit our citizens in case of an emergency.”
County Manager Allen Cook said that having a commissioner with state-level training on the proper response and protocol during crisis situations is an asset to the area.
The 100 Counties Prepared training initiative was envisioned and implemented through the work of Frank Williams, past president of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.
He served as chair of the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners during Hurricanes Florence, Dorian and Isaias. He noted that there appeared to be a lack of training for elected officials on their role during an emergency from his experiences.
“County commissioners are engaged in a number of important issues, but I think there are none more important than providing effective leadership during a crisis,” he said. “The ongoing 100 Counties Prepared training programs that we hold are the first step in filling that training void, and I thank Duke Energy and North Carolina Emergency Management for their crucial partnership in hosting these training events.”
NCACC announced the 100 Counties Prepared initiative in August 2021 with the first training being held in August 2022. Sessions featured remarks on best practices from guest speakers, including former NC Emergency Management Director Will Ray, former director Mike Sprayberry and Duke Energy Vice President of Governmental Affairs and External Relations Kevin McLaughlin, Jr.
Additionally, attendees learned about crisis and storm communications, emergency management rules and processes and recovery funding opportunities.
“In times of crisis, the strength of a county lies not only in its resources but in the preparedness of its people,” Williams said. “Embrace the power of readiness for when we face the unexpected.”
For more information about the 100 Counties Prepared initiative, go to 100countiesprepared.com.