A group that helped Henry County agencies work together during the COVID-19 pandemic is being brought back, with local organizations once again building relationships before the next emergency happens.
Representatives from emergency services, law enforcement, public health, schools, health care and community organizations met Friday afternoon to restart the Henry County Health Coalition.
Henry County Emergency Management Manager Walt Jackson said the coalition originally began in 2018. When COVID arrived two years later, the relationships and systems established through the group helped local agencies respond without having to start from scratch.
Jackson said some other counties needed to meet daily during the pandemic, while Henry County already had many of the relationships necessary to communicate and work together.
The goal now is to rebuild that network before another emergency occurs.
Topics discussed Friday included creating community resource information, planning for shelters for people who are homeless or need assistance during periods of extreme heat or cold, and providing training opportunities for participating organizations.
The coalition also wants to work toward emergency exercises. Previous exercises have included students serving as mock reporters during an emergency scenario, giving agencies practice communicating with the public and media.
Jackson emphasized that emergencies are not the time for organizations to first meet one another, noting that established relationships with local media, including KILJ, have also played an important role in getting information to the public.