Phelps County Citizens Corps gets new officers

The Citizen Corps Phelps County Disaster Committee had a meeting to elect new officers and develop a future plan for the organization at the regularly scheduled Phelps County Commission meeting Tuesday morning.

Buzz Harvey will be the new president of the Citizen Corps Phelps County Disaster Committee. Dan Babcock will be vice president, Edna Bridges of the Red Cross will be treasurer and former president Joe Counsil will now be secretary. "I will still be involved to a large extent, but I'm very happy we're going to have these new officers leading the way," Counsil said.

Counsil said he is extremely happy that Harvey has volunteered to be president. "Harvey has an excellent history of service to our county," he said. "He has excellent outreach capabilities and he's more than qualified to fill this position. I look forward to what he can bring to the Citizen Corps Phelps County Disaster Committee."

Harvey said he is looking forward to being president of the Citizen Corps Phelps County Disaster Committee. "We have a good plan and the resources to make the plan work, but now we have to get organized and start making those goals happen," he said. "The goal is to create an entity that is responsive to the emergency needs of this county and one that people know they can rely on."

Counsil appreciates the responsibility all new officers are taking on. "I know that everyone is very busy these days, but I really appreciate people making time to be a part of this - it's a much needed service in our community," he said.

Although new officers have been chosen, the Citizen Corps Phelps County Disaster Committee still needs volunteers. "We have the monetary resources to accomplish a lot, but we need people first," Counsil said. "The Citizen Corps doesn't work without the citizens."

The Citizen Corps Phelps County Disaster Committee consists of members of the volunteer, public-service and safety agencies in Phelps County that aim to improve coordination and cooperation between volunteer and public safety agencies so that in the event of emergencies and disasters all personnel, and the general public, can better respond to emergencies.

Counsil said another purpose of the organization is to prepare residents for disasters and emergencies. "We want to train people prior to a disaster or an emergency actually occurring so that if one happens we will be better prepared to deal with it," he said.

The Citizen Corps Phelps County Disaster Committee also hosts periodic seminars and provides other educational resources to make people aware of what they should do and who they should turn to in various emergency situations.

Counsil would like to encourage everyone to volunteer or become a member of Citizen Corps. "We could use all the help we can get," he said.

Presiding Commissioner Randy Verkamp said the Citizen Corps Phelps County Disaster Committee provides a great service. "We hope that people in Phelps County will take an active interest in this group," he said.