Dan Hough
Director of Emergency Management
Office
(217) 532-9560
Cell
(217) 313-4153
For outside agencies request Dispatch
(217) 532-9511
Dan Hough
danh@montgomerycountyil.gov
120 North Main St
Hillsboro, IL 62049
Deputy Director
Joe Gasparich
joeg@montgomerycountyil.gov
EMA Assistants
Mark Lewis
Aux Com Director and LEPC Liaison
markl@montgomerycountyil.gov
Doug White
Weather and Social Media Director
dougw@montgomerycountyil.gov
Welcome to the Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency(MCEMA). Our agency was originally created as Civil Defense and later became Emergency Services and Disaster Agency (ESDA). The name of the department was changed to Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency (MCEMA) in 2005 to more accurately reflect its responsibilities. Our agency is established within the County Government and is responsible for mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery activities for our county, assisting municipalities, cities, and townships to be prepared in the case of catastrophic disaster in their respective jurisdictions. We help facilitate resources in conjunction with the State of Illinois, Federal Government, private organizations, businesses, and the public.
The agency is also responsible to insure that the county is in compliance with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), to assure requirements for maximizing preparedness, grant availability, to enhance the safety of the residents, and reduction of property damage through mitigation.
Montgomery County EMA Volunteer CO-OP
- AUX Communications (Amateur Radio Ops)
- Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during critical incidents
- Ground Search and Rescue Team
- Drone Team
- Community Resources – Includes:
- Supply Warehousing / Distribution
- Generator/Equipment Cache
- Food Service (Service Group)
- Human resources
- Reunification
- Emergency Sheltering
- Storm Spotter (NWS Training)
- Damage Assessment Team
- Incident Management Team
Volunteerism
The Montgomery County EMA has many opportunities for individuals to volunteer we have many openings and welcome those interested in helping their community. We are always recruiting. Requirements to become a volunteer are:
- Must be 18 years of age
- Must be a County resident
- Must have no felony convictions
Volunteers are needed for all disaster-related activities. Training is offered at no cost.
Links & Resources
EMA Press Release
EMA Links
The Montgomery County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) is a mandated committee with membership from business and industry; emergency response groups such as fire, medical and law enforcement; community groups; media; hospitals; environmental interest; universities; and the general public.
The mission of the LEPC is to effectively plan for emergencies involving hazardous materials. The LEPC is tasked with the responsibility for SARA Title III Environmental Compliance; HAZMAT training and exercises; Site-Specific Chemical Planning Program and maintenance of the county-wide Hazardous Material Response Plan.
The primary responsibility of the LEPC is to receive information about hazardous substances from industry and to use this information to develop comprehensive site emergency plans to handle emergencies. In addition to the hazardous materials responsibilities, the Montgomery County LEPC has taken an “All Hazards” approach within this committee by looking at other potential threats within our county and communities. We work to mitigate, plan, coordinate, educate and exercise all hazards through this committee as a team to strengthen our efforts regarding public safety. Other “All Hazard” threats we have focused on to date are:
- Active Shooters
- Addiction
- Hazardous Materials
- Mental Health
- School Safety
- Tornadoes
Board Members
Chair Mandy Sebeschak
Vice Chair Karen Webb
Secretary Aryn Hunter
EMA Greg Nimmo
2019 Meeting Schedule
January-June 1st Friday of each month at 10:00am at Hillsboro Hospital
July-December 1st Friday of each month at 10:00am at St Francis Hospital
The 10 Montgomery County Fire Departments, 5 Ambulance Services, Montgomery County EMA, Carlinville and Gillespie Fire are part of the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) Division 56. MABAS is a statewide organization of over 550 agencies that have the capability to work together when a disaster strikes. Many members of MABAS Division 56 have specialized equipment, as seen above, that any other member of MABAS 56 can call upon for assistance during incidents or disasters.
2019 MABAS Division 56 Meeting Dates
February 13th – Unit 7 Fire Protection District (Gillespie)
April 10th – Taylor Springs Fire Department
June 12th – Witt Fire Department
Montgomery County’s Search and Rescue (SAR) is a highly trained team capable of managing and executing many types of search operations including lost person and evidence searches.
Drone with FLIR
Training
Every search team member is required to pass the Illinois Search and Rescue Council (ISARC) 16 Hour Basic Ground Search and Rescue curriculum that includes both classroom and field-level training. Ongoing local and joint agency training in a variety of SAR skills including night search, search management, evidence search and others ensures that members continue to hone their skills.
Dispatch
Our Search and Rescue/Drone Team will deploy as a mutual aid request to other government agencies.
You can request us 24/7 at 217-532-9511.