Holmes LEPC quickly moves to host full-scale training activity

Holmes County Local Emergency Planning Committee members convened Thursday, Jan. 29 at the Holmes County District Health Building to discuss the upcoming schedule of activity along with the effort to obtain a grant that would provide funds for the county to initiate seven different training programs.

With a question mark surrounding the future availability of Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness dollars, Holmes County Emergency Management Agency leaders felt it was necessary to dive into the LEPC full-scale exercise rather than wait to do that later.

According to Holmes EMA Director Jason Troyer, 2026 begins a new four-year cycle for complying with state requirements for LEPC groups.

“Normally, we would do a tabletop experience first, but with the uncertainty of HMEP funding, we decided to apply for a full-scale exercise event,” Troyer said. “We simply aren’t sure of the HMEP in the future.”

During each four-year cycle, the county is required to complete a tabletop, functional and full-scale operation.

“This lets all entities within the county to participate and allows us to test our capabilities,” Troyer said.

Jordan Tschiegg, Holmes County EMA assistant director, said the county is required to meet at least eight objectives in the full-scale exercise, among those working with local law enforcement, fire and emergency personnel, Pomerene Hospital, and other county entities.

“It’s very fluid, so we can create a scenario for however it best works for us,” Tschiegg said.

In doing so, he has been in contact with Bad Day, which supports LEPC groups by providing realistic, scenario-based training that helps communities prepare for hazardous materials and emergency incidents before they happen.

Through tabletop exercises, drills and facilitated discussions, Bad Day walks LEPC members through worst-day scenarios like chemical spills, transportation accidents and industrial releases so responders, planners, industry partners and public officials can test response plans, clarify roles, improve communication and identify gaps in a low-risk, learning-focused environment.

Tschiegg received confirmation from Jeff Yoder of Centor that his company would be willing to serve as the designated company to participate in the exercise, with a tentative date set for Saturday, May 2.

With the exercise taking place at Centor, East Holmes Fire & EMS would be the leading response team.

The grant being applied for will help pay for seven different training sessions for county emergency responders.

The list includes First Due Company Operations at Western Holmes Fire Department, Lithium Ion Battery Training at Winesburg Fire Department, Detection and Air Monitoring at Holmes Fire District #1, Confined Space Renewal at Holmes Fire District #1, Hazmat for Law Enforcement with Holmes County Sheriff's Office and Millersburg Police Department, Spill Response Strategies at Killbuck Fire Department, and Hazmat Refresher Courses with East Holmes Fire Department.

“Some of these trainings have been in the works for some time,” Tschiegg said. “Some people do refreshers every year, or maybe they are looking at doing specific training that has become more relevant recently.”

Tschiegg said East Holmes Fire would be a perfect example of that, with the lithium battery training recently becoming a more serious issue with the sheer volume of e-bikes being utilized in the eastern section of the county.

He said as new information and technology become available, it is imperative for local law and emergency response teams to be prepared.

“A lot of these trainings cover the basics, and that’s why refresher courses are always valuable, because we have professional trainers come in and offer valuable input,” Tschiegg said.

He said spreading out the training sessions throughout the county also is something that became a focal point.

The grant for $16,000 will nearly cover the cost of the training sessions, which will cost $17,960 with the HMEP grant, along with a 20% commitment from Holmes County EMA of $4,490 for a total cost of $22,450.

Additionally, the Holmes County EMA full exercise will cost $9,950, with HMEP funds covering $7,960 and the county committing the 20% amount of $1,990.

The county’s HMEP fund will help cover the costs for the county.

In other LEPC news, the committee welcomed two members: Anne Rapin of American Red Cross and Jennifer Talkington of the Holmes County Health District. Talkington has served on the committee in prior years.

Troyer also said over the last quarter, the county had just one Hazmat response, that one being a minor response to a natural gas leak in which a tree fell on an oil tank. The situation was handled quickly, with evacuation of the local American Electric Power employees for a short period while the leak was fixed.