County hopeful Homeland Security grant funds will be released

At the Big Horn County Commissioner meeting on July 1, Emergency Management Coordinator LaRae Dobbs gave a department update.

She discussed a letter from the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security’s Lynn Budd to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Dobbs explained the letter asked Noem to release grant funds. The grants have already been approved by Congress and President Trump. The funds were held back while DOGE was reviewing government spending. Statutorily, the funds were supposed to be released 40 days after approval. There is a recommendation of a $646 million in FEMA funds.

Dobbs also discussed recommendations from a courthouse security report. One recommendation was that there should be an emergency response guide in each office of the courthouse. The county’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) now includes a response guide as recommended. One portion directs staff on what they need to do should they have a belligerent customer, fire in building, shooter in the building and more.

The state has recommended an active shooter training for the courthouse. A couple of Big Horn County Sheriff school resource officers are available to teach a four-hour course. 

Dobbs believes after the training there should be a drill at the courthouse to put training into practice. The commission gave her the thumbs up to move forward.

She has also been working on a volunteer management system for this region. All the emergency management coordinators and public health response coordinators for the Big Horn Basin met.

No one had a strong volunteer management plan. Dobbs brought options to the meeting to be reviewed, and is working on a plan that meets the needs locally.

She is working on a shelter plan. Multiple counties have requested a copy for a template. The county will host a rural domestic preparedness consortium course for law enforcement on August 6. It is also recommended for elected officials.

Two pipeline training and liaison meetings were held.

AIRPORTS/LAND PLANNING 

Airport manager Paul Thur noted that the county planning and zoning committee approved three subdivisions. He and Stephanie May presented the subdivisions to the commissioners for their approval. The subdivisions were for a replat of Konger Farms, Unruh and Black Hills.

OTHER BUSINESS

• Dispatch agreements for Manderson, Cowley and Basin were signed. 

• Fair Manager Catherine Foss provided bids for the county’s mechanical bull.  

• The State Firearm Policy was reviewed and will be discussed at length at a future commissioner meeting.

• County prevention coordinator Travis Sylvester gave an update via Zoom.