EMA Hires Leader to Boost School Emergency Planning
Derek Woolbright has been hired as the Assistant Director of Education Safety for the Putnam County Emergency Management Agency. Putnam County Emergency Management Agency Director Brandon Smith announced the appointment for the new shared role that splits responsibilities between Tennessee Tech and the Putnam County Schools. The position aims to assist both organizations in preparing […]
Emergency Officials Warn Refreezing, New Travel Issues
Emergency management leaders and law enforcement across the Upper Cumberland are warning drivers that improving road conditions will quickly deteriorate overnight as temperatures drop into the single digits. Overton County Emergency Management Agency Director Chris Masiongale said main roads remain passable, but secondary roads across the county are slick and hazardous as refreezing begins. He […]
Emergency Management Urges Residents To Prepare
Upper Cumberland residents are being encouraged to prepare now as winter weather uncertainty continues ahead of the weekend. Putnam County Emergency Management Director Brandon Smith said the most important step families can take is having conversations about personal safety and backup plans. “The best thing folks can do right now is spend some time having […]
Smith: 40-50 Mph Sustained Winds Likely Friday, Be Weather Aware
A second day of strong winds this week could produce tree damage and scattered power outages Friday. Putnam County Emergency Management Director Brandon Smith said sustained winds of 40-50 mph are likely Friday. Winds approaching 60mph are possible Friday afternoon as a line of thunderstorms approaches the Upper Cumberland. “We look at what happened to […]
Putnam Commission Approves Maynard, Smith Promotions
Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter moved quickly Monday night to replace two county department leaders. The County Commission approved the promotion of Brandon Smith to County EMA Director and Cody Maynard as Parks and Recreation Director. “When I came into office, one thing I made sure of is that we had a succession plan for […]
Putnam County Emergency Management Director Steps Down
Tyler Smith is stepping down as Putnam County Director of Emergency Management. Smith said he has been thinking about this for a while. He said he has been in emergency services for 38 years. “Should you continue doing this, because you go to bed at night thinking there could be another tornado coming through or […]
Putnam Asst. 911 Director Could Move To Full Time EMA Under Proposed Budget
Putnam County EMA asking the county commission to approve current 911 Assistant Director Brandon Smith to go full-time with EMA. EMA Director Tyler Smith said that Brandon Smith currently splits his time between the 911 and EMA Departments. He said this change would streamline the process, and be a huge asset to the EMA department. […]
Putnam 911 Making Changes To Emergency Alert System
Putnam County 911 making changes to its emergency alert system. Assistant Director Brandon Smith said that the previously free system began charging for services, they decided to streamline alerts into a program that utilizes a communications service the county already has. “What’s really cool about the Smart 911 and the Rave Alert system is that […]
Putnam 911 Says Language Interpreting Services Aid In Emergency Response
Putnam County 911’s language interpreting services are an irreplaceable tool for emergency responders. That’s according to Assistant Director Brandon Smith. Smith said that their service agreement with LanguageLine Solutions allows for responders to communicate more efficiently with those who don’t use English as their first language. “We’ve had several incidents where we’ve been able to […]
Cellular 911 Service Restored Across UC
911 service to cellular phones restored across the Upper Cumberland Monday following repairs to the Nashville AT&T Operations Center. “We’re seeing a lot more stability come back to the network, we’re receiving 911 calls now,” Putnam County 911 Assistant Director Brandon Smith said. “We feel like most of the wireless callers in the upper Cumberland […]
