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ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: • Indiana Responders Gain Experience Exercising for a Nuclear Power Plant Emergency • Indiana Law Enforcement Academy Hits Renovation Milestones • Seismic Fault Lines Provide Exercise Setting for Scores of First Responders • IDHS EMS Division Gives Trainings with Brand-New Mobile Sim Lab • May Is Mental Health Awareness Month: Local Efforts Keep Firefighters Healthy • Storm Spotters Offer Insight on How They Play Into Weather ForecastingCobalt Magnet: Nuclear Power Plant Exercise IDHS at FDIC Public Safety Job Postings Dashboard Hoosier Homeland Podcast Major WebEOC Upgrade Coming Soon Get Prepared Newsletter Milestones for Renovation of Indiana Police Training Facility IDHS Newsroom Indiana’s Spring Storms Bring Historic Flooding Wabash Valley Earthquake Exercise EMS Updates Highlighting Mental Health Efforts in the Firehouse “When the Smoke Clears” Video Series Storm Spotters Bring Eyes to the Sky Legislative Update Upcoming Trainings Upcoming Events CONTENTS 4 6 7 7 8 9 10 11 12 18 21 22 25 26 28 30 313 As I continue to settle in at the new Office of Public Safety and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, I was reminded recently of the uncertainty of spring storm season in Indiana. March/April storms and multiple tornadoes tore through large parts of northern and central Indiana and left quite a wake of damage, including the unfortunate loss of several Hoosiers. At least 35 counties were included in a state disaster declaration issued by Governor Mike Braun. It will take some time and persistence for these communities to recover. I was onsite within 24 hours in Gary to see the impact firsthand from the March 19 tornado (along with other IDHS staff), and I was impressed by the drive and passion of Hoosiers helping other Hoosiers. I saw great resilience and fervency to rebuild and was reminded of the spirit of Hoosier hospitality as surrounding communities showed up to help. IDHS Response and Recovery staff jumped into action quickly to respond to the storms and will guide the recovery process from all these incidents. The staff works so hard behind the scenes during some of the most difficult times for storm survivors. I also am encouraged by the way my colleagues, state leaders and other professionals have connected with me to help me better understand the needs of the Indiana fire and EMS communities, all vital first responders during weather events. I attended a recognition ceremony recently honoring more than 100 firefighters who have volunteered for the past 50 years or more to protect their communities from fire while risking their own safety. It was a powerful event and just the latest example of new bonds forming with this critical group of public servants. I recognize that previous IDHS leadership had strong firefighting backgrounds, but I have been impressed by the willingness of these statewide leaders to partner with me to best support fire/EMS. Additionally, my experience as a federal law enforcement officer, military-trained cyber operations officer and my extensive focus on national security have helped me to make connections with the myriad of communities that comprise the Public Safety Secretariat. That said, I am thankful to be surrounded by a strong group of leaders at IDHS to advise me on issues impacting these first responders. Finally, as the Indy 500 approaches, I look forward to the collective task at hand. It definitely is a high-visibility, zero-fail mission, which requires great attention to detail. Our partners (local, state and federal) are excited, and so am I. I am looking forward to delivering excellence alongside you! Thank you for all you do! Jennifer-Ruth Green Secretary of Public Safety Executive Director, IDHS MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR4 NUCLEAR POWER PLANT EXERCISE PUTS STATE, COUNTIES TO THE TEST In mid-March, more than 3,000 participants from across the United States and Canada simulated a response during a full-scale exercise for a major nuclear power plant emergency near Detroit, Michigan. The exercise, Cobalt Magnet 25, highlighted the far-reaching effects of such an incident, including in Indiana. IDHS and other state and local agencies took advantage of the opportunity to practice their plans in three different but related exercises. State Emergency Operations Center Tabletop Indianapolis In the event of a nuclear power plant emergency, the state takes its cues from its Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Ingestion Pathway Annex. The IDHS Response and Recovery sections were joined in the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) by a cadre of Emergency Response Function (ESF) representatives to walk through that plan. “What can we do at the state to get the ball rolling? The federal government may not be there for the first 72 hours of the incident,” said IDHS Technological Hazards Planning Manager Felicia Wolfe. A lot of the exercise came down to communication needs: updates from the nuclear plant itself, notifications to the right people (such as EMAs), coordinating public information releases and dealing with rumors and misinformation. The conversation also delved into what would happen if the emergency were to render some areas of the state hazardous and force many people to be evacuated or relocated, perhaps for months or years. Learn more about the REP Program and download newly updated citizen and farmer informational booklets from the IDHS website.5 Local, State and Federal Partners Tabletop and Sampling Drills DeKalb, Steuben and Allen counties Eleven northern Indiana counties are within 50 miles of commercial nuclear power plants in Michigan and Illinois. These Ingestion Pathway counties have established procedures for emergencies at those plants. But that is not the case for counties outside the typical risk zone, so state and federal agencies met in Ashley, Indiana, with the EMA directors of Allen, DeKalb and Steuben counties as well as their local healthcare system providers, health departments and first responders to explore what could happen if the wind conditions were just right to spread radiation over their area from the plant near Detroit. “Our three EMA offices are only a small piece of the larger support network that we share,” said Steuben County EMA Director Lee Greenamyer. “I believe that we all realize that in an event like this, that we would not be able to perform alone. We are stronger when we rely on the shared strengths and knowledge of each other.” IDHS Radiation staff provided a just-in-time training on how to use radiation detection equipment, then sent three teams out into the counties to practice. Following instructional guidebooks, they tested milk and soil samples for radiation while they wore PPE and moved thoughtfully to minimize radiation exposure to themselves, supplies and equipment. Cobalt Magnet Full-Scale Exercise Indiana and Michigan Indiana also sent personnel to Michigan’s SEOC to act as a liaison between the states. The liaison position was a new concept, but a successful one. Both states now plan to have an Indiana representative in the Michigan SEOC for nuclear power plant incidents. “We’ve cleared up the lines of communication, and going forward it should be great working with them,” IDHS Radiation Program Director Courtney Eckstein said. “You get so much work done when sitting together in the same room with all the agencies you’ll need. We now know better how to request anything, and it is easier than I had thought. A lot of connections were made.” THANK YOU FOR VISITING IDHS DURING FDIC Thank you to everyone who attended and stopped by the IDHS booth at FDIC International in Indianapolis. IDHS representatives enjoyed the many discussions and feedback from each person that grabbed a giveaway item. IDHS will see you again next year! 7 LISTEN TO THE IDHS PODCAST Listen online at on.in.gov/hoosier-homeland or subscribe to the podcast using one of the podcast services below: Indiana’s new Secretary of Public Safety, Jennifer-Ruth Green, brings a wealth of experience to her role overseeing IDHS and other key public safety agencies. The latest episode of the Hoosier Homeland podcast dives into her leadership philosophy, the importance of emotional intelligence and her plans to support first responders, enhance school safety and strengthen Indiana’s cybersecurity efforts. PUBLIC SAFETY JOB POSTINGS DASHBOARD Is your agency hiring, or are you looking for a new job opportunity? Take advantage of the free public safety jobs dashboard offered by IDHS. It promotes available jobs around Indiana in emergency management, 911, fire and EMS. The easy-to-use map had more than 100 jobs and was viewed more than 40,000 times last year alone! Post a new job opening for free or explore the job openings today. Example job posting VIEW THE DASHBOARDEmergency managers know to utilize WebEOC for daily updates and sharing important information during incidents in Indiana. An upgrade is coming soon that will make all those processes easier. WebEOC Nexus is a cloud-based platform that fosters a unified operating view during critical incidents. It also streamlines data and process workflows, expediting or automating routine tasks. This new cloud-based platform offers enhanced flexibility, empowering you to manage your operations and stay connected with WebEOC on your terms. WHAT YOU NEED TO DO As part of this transition, all WebEOC users will receive an email from Juvare introducing them to Juvare Login Services. WebEOC Nexus uses this service to provide a secure sign-in for accessing WebEOC Nexus and other Juvare products. During this transition, IDHS will provide more details about Juvare Login Services and its role in accessing WebEOC Nexus. To maintain access to WebEOC, users must watch for and act upon any emails and information sent out. IDHS will send out additional information once WebEOC Nexus is ready for use. Until then, users should continue to use the current WebEOC for information-sharing activities. TRAINING Juvare provides a complementary course to familiarize users with the new user interface. This training, which includes an overview, key features and a demonstration of the four main features of WebEOC Nexus, is designed to equip you with the necessary skills. Additionally, the WebEOC team will offer further training to guide you through WebEOC Nexus. To take this course, you must register with the Juvare Training Center. The IDHS WebEOC team is ready to support users throughout this transition. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to email the WebEOC team at webeoc@dhs.in.gov. 8 ATTENTION W EB EOC USERS: MAJOR UPGRADE COMING SOONSIGN UP TO Fires, storms, earthquakes. Power outages, hazardous chemical leaks, car accidents. Disasters happen and so do all sorts of everyday emergencies — whether you are ready for them or not! Knowing what to do or having the right supplies at your fingertips can make all the difference when your sense of normalcy is broken. IDHS aims to help Hoosiers like you Get Prepared by sharing tips to stay safe in all kinds of circumstances. Subscribe now to the Get Prepared Indiana email list so you can receive quarterly reminders on what to get prepared for throughout the year. 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