2.7 Redstone Country

2.7.1. General Description

Redstone County is located in the northeast coastal section of the State of Columbia. The county is the tenth largest in population in the State and is an important agricultural, ranching and recreational/tourism hub. The county produces 28% of the peanuts that are farmed in the nation. The Great Atlantic and Pacific Railroad cuts across the county. There are two large cities and five smaller communities in the county: Brooksville, the county seat (62,500), Jackson City (26,000), Diablo City (2,280), Clinton (2,000), Spring (1,560), Sunshine (1,000), and Ashley (720).

2.7.2 History

The area that is now Redstone County was originally inhabited by African-American farmers. Norwegian immigrants arrived sometime later and established a small fishing and lumber industry. Today, the county remains predominately rural; the population centers are along the coast.

2.7.3. County Government

The governing body of Redstone County is the Board of Supervisors, consisting of five individuals. The members of the board are elected at large for staggered four-year terms and serve on a part-time basis. The board elects one of its own members as president to direct meetings. It also selects a county manager, county clerk, and county attorney to serve at its pleasure. The Columbia State Constitution specifies that counties elect the following 17 county officials (although the law makes allowances for varying county size):

Supervisors (5)
Sheriff
Recorder of Deeds
Clerk of Courts
District Attorney
Treasurer
Board of Schools (7)

The county manager, selected by the Board of Supervisors, is responsible for all day-to-day operations of the county government. The county manager selects five deputies to oversee county departments and offices:

Public Information Officer (PIO)
Internal Auditor
Assistant County Managers (2)
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Other officials are provided by statute. The County Courthouse is located in Brooksville that houses the alternate Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

2.7.4. County Interstate Highways

There is no public transportation in Redstone County, nor are there any cab companies. Highways 17, 19 & 21 connect to various larger population centers. It is estimated that 80% of the county population has access to private transportation; however, some households in the rural areas do not have private transportation. Public transportation in these areas is severely lacking. There is a weigh station located near Brooksville on Highway 19.

2.7.5. Railroads

The Great Atlantic and Pacific Railroad serves the city of Brooksville and connects it with Metropolis in nearby Grand County.

2.7.6. Seaport

The Brooksville Harbor is located in the city of Brooksville on the northeastern part of Redstone County. It is a shallow water harbor that is utilized by barge traffic and small to medium sized fishing vessels.

There is also a private marina that is utilized by personal watercraft for recreational use and charter fishing.

2.7.7. County Fairgrounds

The Redstone County Fairgrounds are centrally located within 1/2 mile of Highway 19, just southwest of Brooksville. The indoor and outdoor facilities at the Redstone County Fairgrounds are available for rent and are utilized throughout most of the year. Trade fairs, craft shows, festivals, and the annual Redstone County fair and demolition derby are hosted at the fairgrounds. The land area consists of 49 acres. On-site parking is available for 3,500 vehicles. Overnight RV parking is also available.

2.7.8. Major Employers

Redstone County is an important agricultural area for the State of Columbia. 28% of the nation’s peanuts are harvested here. Like other counties in the State, Redstone County encourages the development of small industries and commercial enterprises and has a diverse commercial base. The following list provides detailed information about companies having 100 or more employees.

2.78. Major Employers


Employer/Activity	Product	#Employees	City	County
Automated Industrial	Construction	102	Brooksville	Redstone
Aggie Shipping	Transportation	112	Jackson City	Redstone
Bagby Food Stores	Food and pharmacy	119	Brooksville	Redstone
Bob’s Barge Line	Transportation	189	Monroe	Redstone
Brooksville	Government	100	Four Corners	Redstone
Brooksville Regional Hospital	Medical	105	Monroe	Redstone
Builders Warehouse	Building materials	112	Laport	Redstone
Cardinal Nursing Homes	Medical	150	Monroe	Redstone
Connor’s Tractor Supply	Farm Machinery, Repair & Supplies	101	Four Corners	Redstone
Diablo Watercraft	Leisure boat builders	168	Monroe	Redstone
Eldre Waters	Retirement village	101	Monroe	Redstone
E-Z Red Transport	Transportation	120	Monroe	Redstone
E-Z North Coast Transport	Transportation	130	Zurich	Redstone

2.79. Civilian Labor Force by Type


Labor Force	Current	2018	2017	2016	2015
Construction	1333	1300	1500	1525	1300
Finance, Insurance, & Real Estate	523	500	515	475	470
Government	505	500	512	500	499
Mining	52	52	40	35	12
Manufacturing	1668	1660	1600	1700	1566
Non- Manufacturing	1407	1400	1389	1502	1488
Service and Miscellaneous	3921	3920	3915	3950	3910
Transportation & Utilities	1876	1870	1700	1800	1697
Wholesale & Retail	1738	1700	1678	1900	1599
Agriculture	2800	2780	2780	2822	2799
Total	15823	15682	15629	16209	15340

Civilian Labor Force by Type

2.80. County Library System

Redstone County has created a library system that has established a library in most incorporated Redstone County communities. The Redstone County Library System has three branch locations all supported through the main branch in Brooksville. The table below shows where those libraries are located. The main library has 18 employees that provide administrative, logistical, and maintenance support for all of the branches. Redstone County began training library employees to work as Public Information Officers (PIOs) during emergencies in the early 2000’s. This program was modeled after the program that was created in Liberty County.


Name	Address	Location	Location	Number of Trained PIOs
Brooksville Main	1255 Richard Edgar Dr.	Brooksville	18	1
Diablo City Branch	123 Main St.	Diablo City	4	0
Jackson City Branch	839 Signal Hill Blvd.	Jackson City	8	2
Spring Branch	482 Daisy Ave.	Spring	3	1

2.7.9. Educational Facilities

The county encompasses one school district including Redstone County Consolidated School District (North & South) K-12. The school district is overseen by a Regional Superintendent of Schools which is located in Brooksville and has a small satellite office in Jackson City.

2.7.10. Hospital Locations

Brooksville Regional Hospital

Brooksville Regional Hospital is a level III trauma center located in Brooksville. It is a two-story reinforced concrete structure built in 1992 and is owned/operated by the Livelong Partnership. It has 36 hours of emergency power service available. Of the 20 licensed beds, 90-100% are usually occupied.

Redstone County Public Health Department (RCPHD)

RCPHD is located in Brooksville. The department’s primary functions include environmental health, community health, family health, and disease prevention and control services. The RCPHD Director, in addition to directing RCPHD, also has oversight over the Redstone County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Coordinator. The RCPHD is a NIMS–compliant agency, and all staff are trained in ICS according to their work responsibilities.

2.81. County Sheriff's Department

Throughout the State of Columbia, the role of the sheriff is to provide general law enforcement in all unincorporated areas of the county. Sheriffs serve as bailiffs in the courts, operate the county jail, and handle civil processes and services. Also, they maintain the county jail and provide other support to local law enforcement as necessary. In addition, the sheriff’s office provides animal control services to the county and maintains the county animal shelter. During declared emergencies/disasters, the county sheriff has the authority to provide assets to neighboring sheriff’s departments when mutual aid agreements are activated.

The following table provides a list of assets for the sheriff’s department. Note that it reflects the total assets available and not the numbers that would be available during an emergency.


Resource Type	Resources	County Sheriff
Manpower Equipment Vehicles- Type III	Officers	40
Equipment – Vehicles	Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD)/Bomb Squad Truck	0
Equipment – Vehicles	Animal Control Trucks	1
Equipment – Vehicles	Marked Patrol Cars	25
Equipment – Vehicles	Marked Trucks	2
Equipment – Vehicles	Marked Vans	1
Equipment – Vehicles	Mobile Command Post Center	1
Equipment – Vehicles	Mobile Crime Scene Vehicle	0
Equipment – Vehicles	Motorcycles	10
Equipment – Vehicles	Rescue Boat	45
Equipment – Vehicles	SWAT Van	1
Equipment – Vehicles	Unmarked Vehicles	8
Equipment – Other	Hand-held Radios	38

2.82. Police Department

The BPD is located at 1300 Richard Edgar Dr. in Brooksville and consists of 40 personnel dedicated to public safety and service. The mission statement for the department, as adopted in 2013, is:

Prevent crime and criminality through aggressive patrol and interaction with members of the community.
Encourage citizen involvement in the solution and prevention of crime.
Ensure that investigation of crimes is carried out in a timely and proactive manner.
Work with the community to solve problems, involving other city departments as necessary.

In 2016, the police department received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), a national validation of its excellence. To be accredited, the BPD had to comply with 365 internationally accepted standards for the operation of police organizations and successfully complete an on-site evaluation by CALEA assessors. Once again, this attests to the department’s world-class employees and services..


Resource Type	Resources	Brooksville County Sheriff
Manpower Equipment Vehicles- Type III	Patrol Officers	35
Equipment – Vehicles	(EOD)/Bomb Squad Truck	0
Equipment – Vehicles	Marked Patrol Cars	28
Equipment – Vehicles	Marked Trucks	2
Equipment – Vehicles	Marked Vans	1
Equipment – Vehicles	Mobile Command Post Center	1
Equipment – Vehicles	Mobile Crime Scene Vehicle	0
Equipment – Vehicles	Motorcycles	0
Equipment – Vehicles	Unmarked Vehicles	10
Equipment – Other	Hand-held Radios	45

2.83. Police Department

Mission

The JCPD is located at 902 Signal Hill Blvd. in Jackson City and consists of 28 personnel dedicated to public safety and service. The mission statement for the department, as adopted in 2015, is:

Prevent crime and criminality through aggressive patrol and interaction with members of the community.
Encourage citizen involvement in the solution and prevention of crime.
Ensure that investigation of crimes is carried out in a timely and proactive manner.
Work with the community to solve problems, involving other city departments as necessary.


Resource Type	Resources	Jackson County Sheriff
Manpower Equipment Vehicles- Type III	Patrol Officers	20
Equipment – Vehicles	(EOD)/Bomb Squad Truck	0
Equipment – Vehicles	Marked Patrol Cars	18
Equipment – Vehicles	Marked Trucks	1
Equipment – Vehicles	Marked Vans	1
Equipment – Vehicles	Mobile Command Post Center	0
Equipment – Vehicles	Mobile Crime Scene Vehicle	0
Equipment – Vehicles	Motorcycles	3
Equipment – Vehicles	Unmarked Vehicles	8
Equipment – Other	Hand-held Radios	22

2.7.11. County Prison

This is a reinforced masonry building with a capacity of 50 prisoners. Space is segregated for up to 10 females and 40 males. Additionally, there are two holding cells, each with a capacity of up to 5 in-transit or temporary prisoners.

Other Law Enforcement Agency

Columbia State Police

The Columbia State Police Department, District 3, operates three shifts per day with coverage split between Redstone County and Witcher County with a Sergeant and 3-5 Troopers.

2.84. County Prison

Other Law Enforcement Agency

Columbia State Police

The Columbia State Police Department, District 3, operates three shifts per day with coverage split between Redstone County and Witcher County with a Sergeant and 3-5 Troopers.


Resources Type	Address	Location	Capacity	Construction
Richie Bracco, Acting Warden	SR 19	1 miles south of Brooksville	50	Reinforced masonry
Richie Bracco, Acting Warden	SR 19	1 miles south of Brooksville	50	Reinforced masonry

2.7.12. Fire Resources

Redstone County has seven fire departments that are either all career, combination or volunteer (Ashley Volunteer FD, Brooksville FD, Clinton Volunteer FD, Diablo City Volunteer FD, Jackson City FD, Spring Volunteer FD and Sunshine Volunteer FD).

All Redstone County emergency service functions will be accomplished in accordance with the NIMS, complying with the Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD). The HSPD requires all Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies and jurisdictions to adopt NIMS and use it in their individual domestic incident management (emergency prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation activities) as well as in support of all actions taken to assist local entities.

NIMS Fire Type


Fire	Career	Combination	Volunteer	# of First Due Apparatus	Type I Engine	Type VI Engine (Brush)	Type I Aerial	Type II Aerial	Type I Water Tender	Type II Water Tender	Type II HazMat Response Team	Rescue	Light Unit	Boat	Type I Mobile FF Breathing Air Supply Unit	Type I Firefighter	Type II Firefighter
Redstone County
Ashley VFD			X	1	1	1			1							62	16
Brooksville FD	X			5	5	1	1		1		1	1		1	1	48	12
Clinton VFD			X	1	1	1			1	1			2	3	1	4	19
Diablo City VFD			X	2	2	1								1		8	18
Jackson City FD		X		3	4	1				1		1	1	1		20	18
Spring VFD			X	2	2	1		1		1			1		1	10	30
Sunshine VFD			X	1	1	1							1			6	23

2.7.13. County FD Dispatch Procedures

All Redstone County FD emergency response assignments are dispatched by the Redstone County 911/ Emergency Communications Center over the Redstone County public safety trunked radio system. All fire dispatchers are assigned to the Redstone County 911/ Emergency Communications Center for dispatching purposes and are trained in emergency medical Criteria Based Dispatch (CBD). The 911/Emergency Communications Center is located within the Emergency Management Center in Brooksville. Vehicle and building maintenance services, including fuel supply, is provided by the Monroe Public Works Department.

Note regarding a “Move Up” situation:

When a “Working Incident” occurs that has emptied several stations, leaving individual territories without fire/EMS protection, dispatchers will contact an authorized Chief Officer (CO)* for the CO’s direction about which units will need to be “moved up” to vacant stations until the incident has been resolved.

*Preferably not involved in the working incident, if possible.

Notes:

1. Departments with specialized units such as brush or traffic control units will deploy them within their service area. They may deploy them outside their service area if approved by a Chief Officer.
2. Squirt can be substituted for engine, depending on availability.

2.86. FD Dispatch based on Assignment


Assignments	Alarm Type	Engine	Aerial	Tender	EMS/ALS Unit	EMS Supervisor	Chief Officer	RIT	Air Unit Aerial
1st Alarm	Structural	2		1	1 EMS
Working Incident	Structural	2	1				1 BC	1	1
1st Alarm	Target Hazards	3	1	1	1 EMS		1 BC		1
Working Incident	Target Hazards	2	1		1 ALS	1	1 BC	1	1
2nd Alarm	Structural/ Target Hazards	2	1	1	1 EMS		1 BC
3rd Alarm	Structural/ Target Hazards	2			1 ALS		IMT
4th Alarm	Structural/ Target Hazards	2	1	1			1 BC
5th Alarm	Structural/ Target Hazards	2	1		1 ALS				1
6th Alarm	Structural/ Target Hazards	2	1	1			1 BC
7th Alarm	Structural/ Target Hazards	2		1

Notes:

Departments with specialized units such as brush or traffic control units will deploy them within their service area. They may deploy them outside their service area if approved by a Chief Officer.
Squirt can be substituted for engine, depending on availability.

Table 2.87. FD Dispatch based on Hazmat


Assignments	Alarm Type	Engine	Aerial	Form	Hazmat\Tender	Decon Unit	EMS Unit	EMS Supervisor	Chief Officer	RIT	Air Unit
1st Alarm	Hazmat	2			1 Hazmat	1	1		1 BC		1
Working Incident	Hazmat	2	1		1 Tender		2 ALS	1	1 BC	1
2nd Alarm	Hazmat	2	1	1	1 Hazmat		2 ALS		1 BC	1	1
3rd Alarm	Hazmat	2	1		1 Hazmat		2 ALS		1 BC

Table 2.88. FD Dispatch based on Alarm Type


Alarm Type	Engine	Aerial	Tender Boat	EMS/ALS Unit	Chief Officer
Rubbish	1		1 Tender
Vehicle	1		1 Tender
Commercial Vehicle	2		1 Tender
Investigation	1
Motor Vehicle Accident	1	1		1 EMS
Industrial Accident	1	1		1 ALS
Water Rescue	1	1	1 Boat	1 EMS	1 BAT
Activated Alarm System	1	1
EMS Assist	1
Police Assist	1	1			1 BAT

Notes:

Squirt can be substituted for engine, depending on availability.

2.7.14. Mutual Aid

Mutual– aid agreements are in place with five counties (George, Grand, Kane, Mineral and Witcher) adjacent/near to Redstone County to provide staff and equipment during a Redstone County emergency. Career, combination, and volunteer fire departments are included in these mutual–aid agreements. It should be noted that although mutual–aid resources are included in the agreement, the entire number of resources are not always available due to their jurisdictional obligation and need.

2.7.15. EMS Resources

Most emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics work 24-hour shifts, utilizing the same work schedule as the fire department, and are co-located at the fire stations. Other ambulances and staff are assigned to augment the basic operational EMS system during periods of high demand; these resources typically work 8, 10, or 12-hour shifts. Services are generally provided through a geographic deployment method using ground ambulances to deliver Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS). Ground ambulances are co-located at area fire stations. These geographically dispersed ambulances are deployed and assigned at peak times throughout Redstone County using a process called system status management.

Brooksville Regional Hospital is designated as the base hospital, i.e., the hospital that provides medical direction and medical command in Redstone County.

Redstone County’s EMS ground ambulances respond to all emergency medical requests made through the 9-1-1 system within the county limits and to certain adjoining Redstone County areas that do not have an EMS system in place.

Redstone County operates one ALS unit and four BLS units.

One rotary-wing air ambulance (Flight for Life) is located at the airport in Monroe (Green County). The air ambulance in Green County is used primarily for interfacility specialty care transport missions but may respond to scenes as mutual aid if dispatched through the Green County 9-1-1 Center.

The EMS dispatcher, located at the Redstone County 911 Center, dispatches all EMS units over the Redstone County public safety trunked radio system. The dispatcher may, under agreement with all units in the county, dispatch or move up any units, provided that required coverage exists in each city. Brooksville requires at least one ambulance to remain assigned at all times within its jurisdiction.

Routine requests for single-ambulance mutual–aid requests that occur almost daily are made directly by the ambulance needing the assistance. Requests for mutual-aid assistance during major events such as disasters or mass casualty incidents into Redstone County from other counties is routed through the EMS Director or the EMS Supervisor in the absence of the Director to the county from which the request is being made. Although mutual-aid agreements are in place, nothing is automatic at time of need. Responders must keep in mind the time elements for EMS resources provided through mutual aid, such as preparation time, assembly, and travel time to Redstone County.

Redstone County has a written EMS mutual aid agreement with Grand & Green Counties. Request must be made through the Redstone County Public Health Director.

2.7.16. Communication

Redstone County and the city of Brooksville operate a county-wide consolidated 911 dispatch center in the Emergency Management Center located in Brooksville provides emergency telephone access and public safety dispatch for all local government public safety units, and other agencies which choose to participate. The Redstone County 911 center manages the county wide 800 MHz trunked radio system (STARCom) & has the ability to patch in select VHF frequencies for outlying public safety agencies, with the exception for agencies who maintain their own radio systems for specialized operations (e.g., the lifeguard patrol in Bayport for on the beach/water operations).

Public Safety

There are fourth 911 call taker consoles in the dispatch center. Separate dispatch consoles are staffed for the Redstone County Sheriff's Department, Brooksville Police Department, Jackson City Police Department, local police/fire/EMS agencies in other cities of Redstone County, Redstone County Fire/EMA, Brooksville Fire/EMS. Two additional dispatch consoles can be activated on need and surge of calls coming into the communications center.

All agencies are assigned to talk groups (the equivalent) to radio channels) for their specific operations. Additional talk groups and simplex radios are available for tactical or special operations.

All fixed public safety facilitates (fire stations, ems stations, police stations, etc.) are equipped with remote transmitters on the trunked radio network.

Other Agencies

Other agencies (school districts, public health, hospitals, etc.) are on a dedicated trunked system operated by the agencies. All school districts and hospitals in Pine County use portable, mobile radios and facilities have remote transmitters as maintained by the Pine County Emergency communications network. All united are inter-operable as necessary to permit communications with public safety operations during joint operational efforts or during emergencies.

System Details

Licensee: Redstone County/Monroe Emergency Management Agency

Type Service: Emergency and Public Safety Communications

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)-Licensed Service: Special Emergency

Address: Emergency Management Center, Brooksville

Call Letters: KFZ-369 (Trunked)

Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD)
Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD)
2 hour Primary Systems Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
350 kW Generator – Diesel – Primary for Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
Computerized Mapping System in EOC

2.7.17. County Communications Network

The Redstone County communications network consist of remote transmitters located at all fire stations, police stations, public works administrative building and yards, water and waste water treatment plants with mobile and portable transmitters distributed as required. All public safety units are dispatched as part of the Redstone County Emergency Management Center communications programs.

2.7.18. Amateur Radio Communications

The Redstone County Emergency Management Agency may activate teams of local FCC-licensed radio amateurs (known colloquially as “Hams”) who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment for communications duty in the public service when disaster strikes.

These amateur radio operators are trained in radio traffic handling (emergency, health and welfare, requests for resources, and supplies), ICS/NIMS, and ESF2 policies and procedures. Emergency management conducts a weekly practice and monthly meeting that include training sessions.

The EOC has VHF (2M) and UHF (440) FM radio equipment for local communications (in-county), including voice, digital data (packet), Echolink, and Winlink2K messaging, HF radio equipment for the 80M to 10M bands, including digital (RTTY, PSK31, WinLink2K), Slow Scan TV, Voice (SSB) and Morse Code (CW) for regional, national, and international communications. The group also sponsors a 2M FM repeater system that operates on 146.76 -600 (no tone) using the call sign WJ30KN. This repeater provides countywide coverage and has phone patch and Echolink access. The local CERT group also maintains a 2M repeater in Brooksville that operates on 147.18 +600 (no tone) with the call sign of MH5PNA.

All shelters within the county are supplied with a VHF 2M antenna system. Some locations, such as hospitals and municipal buildings other than shelters, have installed 2M FM radio units. The two-meter system is used primarily to communicate between agencies and shelters. Many of the hospital units have digital capabilities such as PSK-31, WinLink2k, and NBEMS.

In addition, there are also other amateur radio groups that support specific non-profit organizations (e.g. SATERN for The Salvation Army or ARCCOM for the American Red Cross) that may request permission to share time on one or more of the repeaters or operate on other amateur radio frequencies. These groups regularly exchange information with the county EOC and may participate in emergency management communications exercises.

Many amateur radio operators are also trained “severe weather spotters” through a program called SKYWARN, which is offered in partnership with the National Weather Service (NWS). SKYWARN program participants include amateur radio operators and volunteer fire departments as well as ordinary citizens that report specific severe weather observations by phone or e-mail. Amateur radio operators, by and large, are the largest component of SKYWARN. When severe weather strikes trained amateur radio operators relay reports and impacts via the established net, which is monitored by NWS personnel.

Citizen’s Band Channel 9 is monitored in the EOC. There is a local CB Club that is active; FRS and GMRS radios are also available (there are a few units in the EOC and some government buildings and many recreational hunters use them) but there is no active support group in Redstone County. These radios have limited range (about 1 mile).

2.7.19. Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi)

Wi-Fi is the common name for a popular wireless technology used in home networks, mobile phones, and more. Wi-Fi is supported by nearly every modern personal computer operating system as well as many cell phone providers.

A Wi-Fi enabled device such as a laptop computer or a cell phone can connect to the Internet when within range of a wireless network connected to the Internet. The coverage of one or more interconnected access points—called a hotspot—can comprise an area as small as a single room with wireless-opaque walls or as large as many square miles covered by overlapping access points.

There are many hotspots within Brooksville and Jackson City. The largest concentrations of secure Wi-Fi sites are located in the downtown areas. Numerous non-secure sites are also present throughout the downtown area and business areas of the cities. Emergency responders are able to use any of the non-secure Wi-Fi sites and some of the secure Wi-Fi sites.

Similar Wi-Fi coverage is available in various communities in Redstone County as well as the library system offering free Wi-Fi network for the use of travelers, citizens, employees, and emergency responders.

2.7.20. Social Media Resources

Redstone County utilizes a variety of social media platforms to communicate with the public. Most public service agencies utilize these platforms to share and communicate with the public. Some of them are also used for as part of the mass notification system for emergency communications such as severe weather warnings.