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player ready...The village of Barrington has been designated StormReady by the National Weather Service, joining 93 Illinois communities in being prepared for weather disasters.
Mick Fleming, director of the Joint Emergency Management System, and Mike Bardou of the National Weather Service, presented the designation to Village President Karen Darch during the Nov. 13 board meeting.
Barrington fire Chief John Christian, police Chief Dave Dorn and Village Manager Scott Anderson worked closely with Fleming and others over the last year composing emergency management plans, warnings and community outreach to receive the designation in late October from the National Weather Service, officials explained.
“No community is storm proof but we can be storm-ready to help us save lives,” Fleming said, quoting the motto of the National Weather Service and commending the work conducted by village staff which he described as “no small feat.”
Bardou said the process to become StormReady is not simple and is an ongoing process that will be evaluated again in four years by the National Weather Service.
“There’s more and more severe weather occurring, winter weather, thunderstorms, flooding and our goal is to build a weather [plan] so every community is ready before, during and after severe weather events, and a lot of planning and communication is involved,” he said.
According to the National Weather Service, “a StormReady community must establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center; have more than one way to receive weather warnings and forecasts to alert the public; create a system that monitors weather conditions locally; promotes the importance of public readiness through community seminars and develops a formal hazardous weather plan which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.”
“It’s a great designation and something we can be happy about, to know we are ready,” Darch said.
At the meeting, Darch also announced the promotion of Marie Hansen, director of development services, to the role of assistant village manager.
She also recognized the death of Erle Martin Combs III, 93, who along with his wife, Virginia, were supporters of the Barrington White House and its many cultural programs. Darch described Combs as “a very community-minded, philanthropic member of the community” and expressed her sympathy to the family.
Elizabeth Owens-Schiele is a freelancer.