COUNTY — The Western Piedmont Regional Emergency Management Task Force, a collaboration of Pickens, Anderson, Abbeville, Greenwood and Oconee Counties, has received national honors by receiving the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) “Partners in Preparedness” Award.
The award was presented to the task force for their collaborative efforts during the Red Dragon/Palmetto Shield Exercise held earlier this year.
To complete the exercise, the counties partnered with the U.S. Army Reserve, FEMA, SLED, local and state agencies, private industries and volunteer organizations to demonstrate cooperation during a disaster.
“To be selected for this award by the IAEM is truly an honor and speaks volumes for the emergency preparedness of all of the Counties involved,” said Lynn Fisher, Director of Emergency Preparedness for Pickens County. “Our focus of the exercise earlier this year was to quickly bring together all of the key players who would aide in the event a disaster takes place.”
“This adds another comfort level to emergency preparedness departments in each of these counties,” Fisher said.
Earlier in the year, the same group of counties received the 2010 Barrett-Lawrimore Award sponsored by the South Carolina Association of Counties recognizing their preparedness efforts.