County plans need a review

Emergency and evacuation plans for the Jay County Courthouse and other county buildings will be reviewed in the wake of a lockdown at all Jay Schools last week.
A double homicide Thursday morning in Hartford City led to the precautionary lockdown at schools in Jay, Blackford and other area counties.
“All of the schools had a law enforcement officer there,” Jay County emergency management director Ralph Frazee told Jay County Commissioners on Monday. “It was kind of a joint effort” by all local agencies.
The lockdown, Frazee said, had some county employees raising concerns about plans for the courthouse in a comparable situation.
An emergency action plan was put together in 2005 but is due for review.
“We will look at updating it,” Frazee said.
In addition, each office in the courthouse needs to have an emergency evacuation plan posted, similar to those found in hotel rooms. Evacuation plans also need to be posted in each room of each county building.
In other business, the commissioners:
•Authorized county highway superintendent Ken Wellman to get quotes on a new salt bed for next winter. At the commissioners’ recommendation the quotes are to include a stainless steel option in hopes that the equipment will last longer.
•Registered for “Road School” at Purdue University March 10 to 12. The event is designed to give officials updates on transportation issues.