Tarentum seeks emergency management coordinator in wake of recent tragic events

If a train derailed in Tarentum or a fire broke out in the business district, police and fire crews would respond, but the borough would be without a point man.

Tarentum lost its emergency management coordinator in September when then-Borough Manager Michael Nestico left for a job in Murrysville. He served both roles.

The shooting death of Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire on Jan. 2 has prompted an urgency by Tarentum officials to solidify a disaster plan.

“Given recent circumstances, I don’t think we can push this any more,” Council President Scott Dadowski said.

“Based on everything that happened on Jan. 2, I think everyone agrees we are in desperate need to fill this position.”

The borough will begin accepting applications this month. A description will be posted online.

Municipalities are required by the state to have an emergency management coordinator to serve as a liaison between local and state efforts during catastrophes.

Training is paid for by the borough. The coordinator possibly would receive a stipend, but details have not yet been worked out.

In many towns, the emergency coordinator is a fire volunteer, police officer or borough manager.

Increased state-required training, however, has made the job a challenge for people with full-time jobs or other responsibilities, Tarentum Manager Dwight Boddorf said.

“It’s a lot of continuing education, which is great, and which is 100% needed to standardize the job. But the problem is the amount of time and hours a person has available,” he said.

The job used to require about four hours of additional training a year.

Paul Vezzetti, deputy communications director for the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, said requirements to be a certified emergency coordinator amount to about 75 hours of training over a five-year period.

“There isn’t a hard and fast number of hours, but it works out to about 15 hours a year,” Vezzetti said.

Courses are broken down into a first phase that must be completed the initial year on the job and a second phase that can stretch over the next three years.

An emergency coordinator is expected to attend advanced seminars and workshops called by the state.

Boddorf said it isn’t likely that a borough employee could take on the responsibilities of ongoing training because they already put in 40-plus hours a week.

He expects municipalities across the region could begin creating full-time paid positions.

Dadowski said the borough will reach out to local fire and ambulance services because “it would make sense if it was someone already in the sphere of public safety.”

“Though they might have the same time-related concerns, too,” he added.

Plus, volunteer ranks are dwindling in most communities, Councilwoman Lou Ann Homa said.

“At one time, you used to have 60 fire volunteers,” she said. “Now, you have six.”

Resident Cindy Homburg attended council’s agenda session and said there should be a stipulation that the person stays a certain number of years on the job if the borough foots the training bill.

Council would prefer applicants to live in the borough but will consider someone relatively close by in East Deer or Frazer.

“If the person lives far and there’s a snowstorm or flood, they may not be able to get here,” Dadowski said.

Familiarity has added benefits, Homa said.

“If there’s a train derailment, you have to know the exact person to call,” she said. “This person from ATI or that person to get a heavy crane. Look at the East Palestine (Ohio) derailment. That could easily happen here.”