The Sedgwick County Board of County Commissioners on Dec. 3 unanimously adopted a revised Local Emergency Operations Plan, a county framework for preparing for, responding to and recovering from disasters.

Julie Stimpson, the county’s director of emergency management, asked the board to adopt the resolution and described the plan as “the framework the county uses to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against, the impacts of disasters.” She told commissioners the document is required by state law and “complies with the National Incident Management System.”

Stimpson said the updated plan was significantly streamlined from the prior edition: “The change from the 2022 plan are minimal, but they do include, a reduced size. It was reduced from nearly 400 pages down to 180.” She also said the plan adds guidance for “expanding incidents,” meaning events that grow in complexity, and separates long-term recovery work into a focused recovery plan to be presented next year. Stimpson said two additional annexes — an extreme temperature plan and a county active-shooter plan — are being finalized.

Commissioner Meister urged the county to support cities in Sedgwick County that lack dedicated disaster-management staff, telling Stimpson the county should help coordinate recovery and planning: “The weather doesn’t care about jurisdictions,” he said, noting recent tornado and flooding events and the long recovery challenges that follow, including debris removal and housing. Stimpson said she would engage regional partners, including the Sedgwick County Association of Cities (SCAC) and Wichita State University on outreach to businesses, and explore liaison or collaborative approaches to bolster local preparedness.

The board voted by roll call to adopt the LEOP resolution. The clerk recorded unanimous "Aye" votes from the commission members present. Stimpson thanked the board for its support and for staff work on the update.

What happens next: With local adoption complete, the director said a separate, standalone long-term recovery plan and the two planned annexes will be brought to the board for future review.