By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Many employees select the end of the year as a natural stopping point. Barton County Emergency Risk Manager Amy Miller is doing just that after 37 years of service to the county. During Thursday's final commission meeting of the year, the board also spoke to Sean Kelly, the county's new emergency manager director. He's ready to hit the ground running on the four components of risk management: planning, mitigation, response, and recovery.
"We do a lot more expansive stuff behind the scenes preparing," he said. "That's the plan, is to prepare for and mitigate disasters as best we can to help get our communities through."
Kelly graduated from Olathe Northwest High School and attended Fort Hays State University where he competed on the rodeo team. He also received a degree in emergency management and homeland security from Barton Community College. Kelly has worked in the engineering field for 13 years, with six years at the Kansas Department of Transportation. He was hired as the Barton County engineer technician in August 2017. He's been the assistant emergency risk manager for three years and is now ready to tackle the many hazards that may impact the county, including tornadoes, floods, fires, or winter storms.
"We do hazard assessments to try and gauge what our most likely impacts are going to be, then try to plan around them," he said. "With the National Incident Management System (NIMS), it encompasses an all-hazard approach to your planning and mitigation efforts so you try to plan broadly for this situation or that situation."
Kelly also sits on the state's Incident Support Team as a planning section chief and a situation unit leader. He's made several contacts with the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, other local partners, and officials from other counties. As the new emergency management director, Kelly will also retain the title of engineering technician with the county.
Miller was unable to attend Thursday's commission meeting, but the board and County Administrator Matt Patzner thanked her for nearly four decades of service. She was the second-longest-serving county employee.
"Few employees today have reached 37 years of service," Patzner read from a letter of appreciation that was signed by the commission. "Fewer employees reach 37 years while dealing with natural and man-made disasters, as well as insurance, workers' compensation, and other such matters. Having worked in various departments in the county and with a background in journalism, you were a natural selection for a job that few understand."