By Jessica Mathews / News@whmi.com


The Hartland Township Board met virtually Tuesday night and adopted a plan that deals with how to handle potential emergency situations.

The Emergency Support Operations Plan for Hartland basically lays out the game plan for a localized emergency. It was originally completed in 2017 but was set to expire so required revisions were made and the plan is now good for another four years. The plan could be triggered by potential hazmat situations, expressway incidents or crashes, straight line winds or tornados. It identifies chain of command, point persons, different responsibilities and steps that need to be taken. The plan focuses on the safety of residents through information, planning, and preparation for all emergency events and potential hazards. It’s described as an adaptable document that can be applied to all hazards.

Since Hartland’s major industry is said to be general merchandise stores, a document states that the township is concerned with the potential need for short term sheltering and accountability for persons during disasters such as fires and tornadoes affecting those buildings. The township supervisor may declare a state of emergency, or in their absence, the township manager.

Supervisor Bill Fountain indicated that he, Clerk Larry Ciofu and Manager Bob West will be meeting with the Fire Chief Adam Carroll to further discuss the plan and make sure everything is clear. It was stated the township will also draft a supplemental document that is not required and will be for internal use regarding processes and contacts.

The support plan for Hartland Township is part of Livingston County’s Emergency Operations Plan or EOP. One advantage to participating is that townships and the county become eligible for financial disaster assistance to recoup costs if a localized emergency were to happen.

Hartland’s plan is not made available to the public but kept on file with Livingston County Emergency Management to be used in the event of an emergency.