The Washington County Preparedness Consortium met July 20th. Photo by Sam McIntosh

Updates on an upcoming emergency response drill, the Healthcare Coalition, and Community Emergency Response Team recruitment were given at Friday’s Washington County Preparedness Consortium meeting.

The consortium also talked about the 27 tornadoes that touched down in Iowa Thursday and the affected communities’ recovery. Washington County Emergency Management Coordinator Marissa Reisen comments on the response to Thursday’s severe weather, “I think everything that I’ve seen is so much Iowa, you know, your neighbors are coming out to help. I’ve already made calls to Marion County is in our Homeland Security district so I reached out to the Mahaska County guys and said since they’re neighboring them, ‘I know you guys are going to be going over there if you need anything let me know.’ I’ve had some local businesses that have reached out and said, ‘Hey, if you find out that they need anything you let us know because we’re willing to help too.’”

Reisen said that if the same disaster were to strike Washington County she knows the community would come together to help each other out. The next Washington County Preparedness Consortium meeting is on August 17th at Washington County Hospital and Clinics.