Cook County Emergency Services Conference to feature emergency training and new wildfire evacuation app

First responders, county and city officials, law enforcement, and emergency personnel will gather in Cook County on April 19 and 20 for the annual Emergency Services Conference. 

The 32nd offering of the Emergency Services Conference will be held at the Cook County Community Center in Grand Marais and features a wide range of emergency preparedness and first responder education and training opportunities. 

“It’s a great thing to have here in our small community,” Mike Keyport, the Cook County emergency management director, said. 

Keyport said he looks forward to the conference and invites the public to attend. “Come join us. We hope to see as many people there as we can.”

While there is a wide range of educational topics, he said he is excited to welcome the American Red Cross volunteers to the conference this year to provide in-depth emergency shelter training for conference attendees.

In addition, during the conference, Keyport said the county will debut a newly developed wildfire evacuation app. 

Keyport and Kyle Oberg, the Cook County geographic information system (GIS) analyst, will share information about the new app and how residents of the Gunflint Trail and the entire Arrowhead region can use it during the event of a wildfire. 

Oberg will give a presentation about the new technology during the conference. Keyport said the app will help first responders, firefighters, and law enforcement officers track and monitor which residences have been evacuated during a wildfire. The app will allow residents to notify firefighters and law enforcement officials that they have evacuated their homes, effectively conserving resources that would instead be spent conducting door-to-door checks. 

“So we can just look at a map and tell who is evacuating,” Keyport said. “It’s pretty neat stuff.”

Below is the complete list of presentations and educational topics featured during the upcoming emergency services conference: 

• North Memorial Air Care Helicopter: On-site with staff conducting Safe Landing Training, including classroom and hands-on training.
• ARMER Radio Refresher Training: This is for radio users needing basic training or a refresher. It also includes ARMER radio “Train the Trainer” training for those aspiring to become trainers on the ARMER radio system.
• Weather Radar Gaps: A session dedicated to discussing the gaps and low-level coverage in our weather radar, including potential future solutions.
• State Perspective Updates: Kevin Reed, Deputy Director of Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management, will provide updates on disasters, wildfires, and other pertinent news.
• Emergency Medical Equipment Training: North Shore Health staff will be on-site to conduct training on “Navigating & Troubleshooting the Lucas Compression Device & LifePak 15 Cardiac Monitor,” covering proper usage and troubleshooting.
• De-escalating Emotionally Charged Situations: Luke Campbell from the Minnesota Department of Health will present valuable tips and insights for remaining calm and effectively responding in tense situations.
• Emergency Shelter Training: The American Red Cross will offer a classroom portion on the fundamentals of emergency shelters and hands-on training for setting up an actual shelter.
• Electric Safety for Emergency Responders: Arrowhead Electric will conduct Electric Safety Training for Emergency Responders. EMS personnel can learn how to respond to an electrical emergency in which a lineman or bystander has contact. 
• Wildfire Season and Spruce Budworm: With over 200 wildfires in Minnesota by mid-March, learn about the contributing factors, such as Spruce Budworm, and what actions we can take. The Cook County Firewise Coordinator will also discuss the Firewise program and new initiatives.
• Suicide Prevention Skills Training: Andrea Orest, Cook County Public Health Educator, will offer LivingWorks SafeTalk training, equipping participants to be alert to signs of suicide and connect individuals with further help.
• Firefighting and EMS Training: Erik Jankila, Hibbing Fire Chief, known for his subject matter expertise and unique teaching style, will cover multiple topics in firefighting and EMS.

Register for the 2024 Emergency Services Conference here. 

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Mike Keyport, the Cook County emergency management director, about the upcoming emergency services conference. The audio from the interview is below. 

Kalli Hawkins April 13, 2024