New annex gives Carroll County EMA expanded capabilities

The Carroll County Emergency Management Agency has moved into the new Carroll County Annex Building at 207 Moody Avenue SW, giving officials expanded space, upgraded technology and improved accessibility to better respond to emergencies across the county.

The EMA is responsible for coordinating the county’s response to natural and man-made disasters, working with state and local agencies during emergencies. Carroll County’s office also includes the Local Emergency Planning Committee, which handles hazardous materials planning and response.

“Whenever an event happens, myself or Dustin respond out, and we do everything under our protocols that are set up by the state,” EMA Director Tom Cottis said. “Then we get that information back to the state of Ohio, and they advise us where to go from there.”

Cottis said he serves as EMA director, while Deputy Director Dustin Lucas also serves as coordinator for the Local Emergency Planning Committee.

Cottis, who has served as director for 22 years, said the move represents the fourth location for the agency during his tenure. Previous locations included the courthouse, the current 911 center building, the Carroll County Fairgrounds and a downtown office that lacked space and accessibility.

“The problem with the downtown building was it was not ADA compliant,” he said. “We also lacked parking and office space. Here, we’ll be able to check every box the state requires of a functional emergency operations center.”

Cottis and Lucas both credited the Carroll County Commissioners for their support in making the move possible, noting the project was completed with a focus on meeting state requirements while keeping costs down.

“The commissioners wanted to do it the right way,” Lucas said. “If we said we needed something, they worked to find the best way to make it happen.”

Cottis said the move was the right decision for the county and will allow the agency to better serve residents during emergencies.

The new annex includes an expanded emergency operations center, or EOC, as well as offices, a media room, conference space, restrooms and a break area to support extended operations during major incidents.

Lucas said the new space also allows for significant technological improvements that were not possible in the previous building.

“Nowadays, our emergencies — probably half of them — are boots on the ground, but when we get to larger-scale events, it’s so technology-based that we have to have that capability to be effective,” Lucas said. “Without it, we would be lacking.”

The upgraded EOC features smart boards, projection systems and the ability to display real-time data such as weather conditions, lake levels and road closures. Officials said the system allows them to monitor multiple locations at once and make faster, more informed decisions.

“We can bring up live information, track water levels, monitor road closures and even split screens to look at multiple locations at the same time,” Lucas said. “It makes us more efficient and more effective.”

Cottis said the agency hopes to add drone technology in the future, which would allow staff to assess emergencies remotely instead of traveling to multiple sites.

“With a drone, we can look at flood conditions or a hazardous materials situation in real time without having to drive all over the county,” he said. “It saves time and manpower.”

The annex also improves coordination with other agencies. The county’s 911 center is expected to co-locate in the building, allowing for direct communication during emergencies.

“To have that day-to-day interaction with 911 is vital,” Cottis said. “Everything is going to mesh together.”

Cottis said the agency has also evolved significantly over the years, both in responsibilities and staffing. When he first started, the county had its first full-time EMA director position, with part-time assistance funded through local emergency planning resources.

Today, the office operates with two full-time staff members, though Cottis noted other counties often have significantly larger teams.

“You look at other counties around us — three, four, five employees,” he said. “Some larger counties have even more. We get the work done, but we are still understaffed.”

He added that responsibilities have grown over time, including increased involvement in school safety planning and coordination.

“They keep adding more requirements, more responsibilities,” Cottis said. “The schools have to have their own plans, but when something happens, we’re involved 100 percent.”

Lucas said the new facility will help meet those growing demands by improving communication and efficiency.

“As technology advances, we have to advance with it,” he said. “Now we finally have that capability.”

Despite the upgrades, officials said the project has been completed at a relatively low cost, thanks in part to donations from local organizations and businesses.

“Most of what you see in here came at little or no cost to the county,” Cottis said, noting that furniture, equipment and technology were donated or acquired through partnerships.

Lucas added that the new facility will also allow the county to host regional meetings and training sessions for the first time.

“We’ve never had the space to do that before,” he said. “Now we have multiple rooms where we can hold trainings or bring in other agencies.”

The expanded facility is also expected to improve the county’s ability to qualify for and utilize grant funding, including the Emergency Management Performance Grant, which helps support operations and equipment.

Cottis also pointed to changing weather patterns and recent flooding events as a reminder of the importance of preparedness.

“With Tornado Alley slowly moving northeast, we’re seeing more severe weather in Ohio than we used to,” he said. “We have to be ready for that.”

For Cottis, the new facility represents the culmination of years of effort.

“It’s been a long time coming,” he said. “I’ve seen it come full circle from when we had one computer and a fax machine to where we are now. This puts us on a whole new level.”