Eureka EMT tapped to lead Tarentum disaster response

Tarentum has hired a longtime emergency medical technician (EMT) from Eureka Fire-Rescue-EMS to handle responses to large-scale borough disasters such as train derailments, fuel spills and criminal manhunts.

Rodger Blystone was appointed Tuesday by council as the borough’s emergency management coordinator.

A largely voluntary role, Blystone will be paid a yearly stipend of $7,500.

“In today’s day and age, I think it’s unfortunately a matter of when something bad happens, not if,” said Blystone, 31, who works full time at Eureka, the fire department and rescue service on Third Avenue.

“With the knowledge I have of the borough, I want to be part of the solution.”

Mayor Bob Lang said Blystone plans to tailor an organized approach to emergency preparedness that will match the borough’s growing needs.

“Rodger will integrate emergency management into the culture and help increase resiliency across the borough,” Lang said.

Blystone has more than a decade of experience as an EMT and firefighter and holds several specialized emergency management certificates.

Councilwoman Lou Ann Homa said she is excited to have Blystone on board to leverage his experience.

One of his first tasks will be updating the Tarentum Emergency Operations Plan.

“He will coordinate with a steering committee of experts within the borough and county,” she said.

The borough had been without an emergency management coordinator since September.

The train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and the townwide manhunt for the suspect who shot and killed Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire in January prompted borough officials to want to fill the position sooner rather than later.

Blystone said that the morning the job description posted online, “my phone blew up with family and friends calling and texting.

“They all were like, ‘This is all you.’”

A native of Butler, Blystone joined a local fire department at age 14 and was certified as an EMT in 2009.

He has been with Eureka for 10 years.

The state requires municipalities to have an emergency management coordinator to serve as a liaison between local and state efforts during catastrophes.

Training will be paid by the borough.

The job requires about 75 hours of ongoing education every five years, according to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. Blystone will be expected to attend advanced seminars and workshops hosted by the state.

For now, his priority will be reviewing the borough’s policies and procedures already in place.

Blystone said he is excited to modernize strategies and play a direct role in protection.

Through his history with Eureka, he has a good working relationship with other emergency service personnel in the area, Blystone said.

He also serves as a state fire academy instructor and has taken classes through the state and federal emergency management agencies.

“I believe I can help,” he said. “People forget that we had a major derailment just down the road in Harmar. There were train cars in the river, and that very well could happen here.”