Butler County EMA Executive Director Jim Bolen said the vote is a time to reflect and reassess for his organization.
“We run a great program here in Butler County, but we’re always looking to improve and always looking for the opportunity to make sure we’re serving Butler County residents the best way possible,” he said.
The Butler County EMA is an independent agency in which the county communities, including the Butler County Commission, are members. By statute, if the commission were to eliminate the EMA, as it had explored, a resolution would need to be passed, prompting a 90-day transition period, which is why the vote had to be on Tuesday.
In December 2024, commissioners declared their intent to review a possible emergency management program and withdraw from the current EMA. In April, Envision Group was hired to produce a report reviewing the other 62 EMPs under a county commission and offer suggestions and options on how an EMP could be operated under Butler County.
Carpenter said Envision Group failed in its broad charge as it did not address several issues, including no recommendations or outlines of best practices, how an emergency management program would benefit Butler County, and addressing the historical friction between the EMA and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.
“Butler County already has a best-in-class emergency management system,” said Carpenter. “It’s proven and it works. We asked Envision Group to evaluate and recommend what would be in the county’s best interest. However, their presentation failed to provide sufficient justification for dismantling a program that serves us so well.”
Commissioner Don Dixon said he “believed from the bottom of my heart” transitioning to an emergency management program system was the right choice, with the Butler County Sheriff’s Office and the Butler County EMA not working cooperatively is “a disservice” to the county.
“There comes a time when you have to step back and reassess the situation,” he said ahead of Tuesday’s vote. “We have two organizations in Butler County, both committed to the citizens of Butler County, and with the expertise and equipment and the know-how that both of those departments have doing a disservice to our citizens. They need to work together.”
Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones said he’ll continue operating as he has, without the EMA.
“It’s the most incompetent organization I’ve ever been involved with in 49 years,” he said, adding, “nothing’s going to change.”
Dixon said last week that his chief concern was not the EMA’s ability to do its job but a lack of checks and balances.
Bolen said he takes Dixon’s comments on oversight and improving the relationship with the Butler County Sheriff’s Office “very seriously.”
“We’ll work with the commissioners’ office to make sure that we’re doing things in the right way,” he said, committing to “rectify any issues” the board has with the agency. “I made sure that my time as director to make sure to coordinate with the county as much as possible, to share as much information as much as possible,” he said.
As for working with the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, Bolen said rebuilding a broken bridge “is a challenge.”
“We build bridges the way we always do, which is one plank at a time, making sure that when our people need us, we serve them and make sure we get what they need in time of a disaster.”
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