MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - A Township Board meeting was held Tuesday, January 25, where updates to the Michigan Support Emergency Operations Plan (Support EOP) were discussed.

This year, six changes were made to the plan. These changes include an alternate damage assessment, a police chief alternate, a name change of the community and planning development director, the addition of a public health successor, and a law enforcement title correction.

The Support EOP was first introduced to the Township in 2015. The purpose of the Support EOP is for Meridian Township to have a plan for handling emergencies that cooperates with the Ingham County Emergency Management Program.

The Township elected to be incorporated into the Ingham County Emergency Management Program to alleviate the stress on local resources during emergencies.

Meridian Township Fire Chief, Mike Hamel, is the appointed Emergency Management Liaison. Hamel is responsible for communicating and coordinating between Ingham County and Meridian Township, along with being the point of contact for the County Emergency Management Coordinator.

Chief Hamel says, “This plan supports how we function and operate as a Township during large scale emergencies/disasters. “

Developed by the Meridian Township local planning team, the Support EOP coordinates emergency response efforts to save lives, reduces injuries, and preserves property.

Chief Hamel says, “By naming Ingham County as our emergency management agency, it gives us the ability to receive emergency relief from the State of Michigan and possibly the federal government during declarations. It gives us the ability to request resources if we exhaust all of ours. Ingham County EM is our link to the Michigan Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division of the Michigan State Police.”

The support EOP functions by assigning responsibilities to agencies to enable coordinated emergency response activities for before, during, and after an emergency or disaster.

The agencies involved consist of direction and control, fire services, law enforcement, warning and communications, public information, damage assessment, public works, emergency medical services, human services, and finance.

The emergency plan update was adopted with a 6-0 vote and will be implemented as needed throughout the year.