The Department of Public Safety team has been working with our municipal planning and response partners across the county and in our local communities for the last few years on enhancing our emergency planning and preparedness for extreme weather conditions and events, which included administering a major update of the countywide Hazard Mitigation Plan and achieving recognition through the National Weather Service's StormReady program.

On Friday, December 21, 2018 at the Washington County Board of Supervisors monthly meeting, Ray O'Keefe, Meteorologist in Charge of the National Weather Service office in Albany, presented Board of Supervisors Chairman Robert Henke with the county's official StormReady recognition and an official StormReady community sign to be displayed proudly.

A quick note from the National Weather Service website on their StormReady program: "The StormReady program helps arm America's communities with the communication and safety skills needed to save lives and property--before, during and after the event. StormReady helps community leaders and emergency managers strengthen local safety programs."

Public Safety Director Glen Gosnell and the members of the Department of Public Safety wish to extend our thanks to our partners at the National Weather Service - Albany and in the various county departments and agencies, our towns and villages and our first response agencies who have worked alongside us all the way to continuously improve our planning and preparedness efforts and support our preparedness education efforts for those in our communities!