The Scoop...November 7, 2011
Posted by Jim Krumel
on Nov 07, 2011
Nancy J. Dragani, executive director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency administers the State Homeland Security Funding Program and oversees disaster recovery and mitigation efforts.
The Nov. 7 meeting was called to order by President Jerry Courtney. Members with guest were Anne Decker (guest Russ Decker), Sam Bassitt (guest Dan Reiff) and Cindy Wood (guest Greta Murray). Guest of the club was Curtis Shepard. The featured speaker was Nancy J. Dragani, executive director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. She explained that in her role she leads the state's coordinated preparedness and response to both man-made and natural disasters, administers the State Homeland Security Funding Program, and oversees disaster recovery and mitigation efforts. She has held this position since January 2005. She has served on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Advisory Council, the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism Advisory Board and has held the office of president of the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA). She praised Allen County’s EMA chief, Russ Decker, saying he runs one of the best programs in the state. She noted his efforts are why Allen County’s programs are the best in the state. She talked about how emergency management as a profession and philosophy has advanced since the 2001.It is being considered an essential part of “public safety” with each state and local region working with EMA to look into how to prevent and respond to man-made and natural threats such as a floods, tornados and winter storms. She emphasized the need for government agencies to share information.