MOUNT VERNON — The future of the infamous Knox County hazmat truck and trailer will be discussed at the Dec. 2 Knox County Weapons of Mass Destruction Board meeting, according to Knox County Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency Director Marie Blubaugh.
The sale of the truck and trailer was recommended in a letter earlier this year written by the Knox County Fire Chiefs Association after a discussion of the issues regarding the equipment established no possibility for the creation of a Knox County hazmat team at this time.
The equipment, purchased with federal Homeland Security grants in 2003 and 2004 for over $100,000 has never been used in a hazmat situation. No local hazmat team could be successfully established due to manpower and budget issues.
Blubaugh discussed the matter with the fire chiefs at the time the letter was drafted, presenting the possibility money made from the sale could be used to purchase needed radio and communication equipment for emergency departments in the county if approved by the Ohio EMA.
Since then the Knox County EMA has received notification from the Ohio EMA about what possibilities are open to the county regarding the sale of the trailer.
Blubaugh declined to discuss the parameters the state provided before the Dec. 2 meeting, because the WMD board has not officially been presented with the information, or discussed the options as a board.
Ohio EMA spokesman Tamara McBride told the News her agency consulted the Department of Homeland Security for the appropriate procedure regarding the future of the truck and trailer. The agency then notified Knox County of the allowable transactions.
“If the vehicle is over $5,000, and they are able to sell it, the money has to go back to Homeland Security,” McBride said.
“If the vehicle is less than $5,000 they can keep that amount,” she said. The 2004 pick-up alone, was purchased for $30,037.25. The trailer and its contents, many of which have expired, were purchased for $71,500.
A third option according to McBride, would be to establish a Memorandum of Understanding with a mutual aid team in another county, which could use the equipment and provide mutual aid coverage in Knox County in an emergency.
According to McBride there is not a situation which would allow the sale of the truck and trailer to another county for over $5,000 which would allow the county to purchase any new equipment.
McBride said the agency consulted the Department of Homeland Security because the issue had never come up before.
“This particular incident has not happened in the past,” she explained. “This is the first time anybody has ever wanted to make a transaction. This is the first time our present grant staff is aware of.”
She said the information presented to the local agencies by Blubaugh was not incorrect, but was based on equipment worth less than the minimum amount. “It was indeed a factual statement, but it was based on the $5,000 amount,” McBride explained.
Blubaugh said because the WMD board purchased the equipment, which is stored at the Mount Vernon Elmwood fire station, she wanted to discuss the matter with them before speaking about it publicly. “The board will then make a decision after I give them the parameters,” she said Tuesday.
