Vigo Co. Emergency Management Agency receives state-wide top honors

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - The devastation left behind by hurricane sandy knocked out power for more than 7.5 million people and leveled thousands of homes. It's a scenario that local emergency management groups train for everyday.

Locally one Emergency Management Agency group's preparedness has given gave them state-wide attention.
  
You've seen the stories: missing person searches, major fires, and devastation by natural disaster, especially recently with the devastation of Superstorm Sandy.
    
But what you may not know is behind the scenes, there's a group of brothers, sisters, friends and relatives working to coordinate those events and give those affected the best help possible.

And the Vigo County E.M.A. has received top honors for how well they work together.

"We participate with all response partners; we do kind of a two fold. We do 24/7 response with our partners that can be fire, law enforcement, that can be EMS, public works, everything and anything,” Vigo County E.M.A, Director Dr. Dorene Hojnicki said.
    
But their dedication hasn't just been recognized by officials locally, they’ve caught the eye of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.

"We found out after the conference that we are the top scorer for the district," she said.
    
That score is more than a nice award. It actually brings money into the county.

"It will allow up to fifty percent salary reimbursement for the staff that goes back to the county. Then, depending on how high you score, there were some equipment grants that [we] may qualify for,” she explained.
    
Grants that will allow them to purchase new equipment to assist in events like Search and Rescue.  For the VC E.M.A., winning awards are nice, but they must always plan ahead for the future.

"You know, for me at least, I am always thinking of we did well, but ‘what can we do better?’” she finished.