Southport selectmen received an update on island and county emergency management efforts and signed their acceptance of the county’s hazard mitigation plan.

Scott Campbell, regional emergency management director, and Mike Ciccarelli, Southport’s emergency management director, participated in the discussion and responding to questions from the selectmen.

Campbell asked for signatures adopting the revised county hazard mitigation plan for 2016. Selectman Gerry Gamage asked him, “Where will the funding come from to implement the plan?”

Campbell explained that adopting the plan for Southport will enable the island to receive up to 75 percent in federal funding in the event of a declared disaster. In those instances (after a presidential declaration), Southport would only need to provide 25 percent of the total funds needed for restoration after the disaster.

The plan, which was approved and adopted, is a 2016 update of the county’s 2011 plan. Work to update the plan began in January 2015 at a meeting called by Tod Hartung, Lincoln County EMA director, following the award of a grant to fund the effort.

Work on the plan has continued since the initial meeting and included an April 2015 workshop for local officials. Under Hartung’s leadership, situations have been incorporated that are specific to Lincoln County. As an example, Hartung noted the fact that “Severe weather conditions seem to have shifted to the county’s peninsulas.”

Among the possible hazards included in the plan are flooding, severe winter storms and summer storms. Although wildfires have not been a problem, the group included wildfire hazards after recognizing that the county’s fire personnel are largely volunteers (90 percent), brush and debris is not always cleared from residential driveways and in some instances driveways are too narrow for fire trucks.

Southport EMA update

Ciccarelli also updated selectmen about his efforts as the island’s EMA director. He has completed an assessment of 75 percent of the island with regard to providing emergency services, noting that some private roads may pose problems. “There is dense vegetation on some private roads, and some residences do not have visible house numbers that firefighters can see if there is an emergency.”

Ciccarelli noted that he has spoken with a few businesses that may be vulnerable due to potential hazards and reminded them that emergency management is available to assist them, if ever needed.

Ciccarelli also referred to the development of a workplace violence policy for the Southport office. “We are totally on board with that effort,” Smith Climo replied.