Knox County Emergency Management Director John Streeter has outlined how the agency prepares for emergencies.
In a social media post today, titled Behind the Scenes, Streeter says staff train under the National Incident Management System, or NIMS, which provides a nationwide structure used by local, state, and federal agencies.
Streeter says personnel are trained to serve in Command and General Staff roles within the Incident Command System, including operations, planning, logistics, finance, public information, and safety.
He says the agency operates through three divisions: Training and Exercise, Planning and Response, and Communications and Warning.
Streeter says the county does not have a dedicated, fully functioning Emergency Operations Center facility available 24 hours a day. Because of that, he says the county activates a Mobile EOC during incidents and special events for coordinated leadership, operational capability, and state-level communication.
Streeter adds that preparedness work is not always visible to the public, but says it is happening consistently and by design.
