The Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency recently hosted a roundtable discussion based exercise with a county department heads along with other elected officials and stakeholders across the county.

The exercise, moderated by EMA Director Shawn Rogers, centered on Emergency Management in Disasters.

The goal of the exercise was to bring all critical stakeholders together in one setting to learn the operations, roles and responsibilities of the Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency as well as the operations, roles and responsibilities of each organization represented in hopes of providing cooperation and collaboration before, during and after an emergency or disaster.

Representatives from the Cherokee County Highway Department, Cherokee County Commission, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department, Cherokee County Coroner’s Office, Cherokee County Animal Control, Cherokee County EMA, Floyd EMS, Centre Police, Cedar Bluff Police, the American Red Cross, Cherokee County Board of Education, Cherokee County 911 and the Cherokee County Rescue Squad were given the opportunity to provide an overview of operations, roles, and responsibilities of their respective organization as it pertains to before, during and after an emergency or disaster occurring.

Cherokee County EMA Director Shawn Rogers said that this was a great opportunity to develop and understand exactly what to expect from each organization as they work directly or indirectly with each other during times of disaster/emergency.