Bob Kempf is the Adair & Guthrie County Emergency Management Coordinator, but that phrase–emergency management–involves much more than just Kempf himself.

A large part of the Emergency Management organization is funded by the government, but Kempf says some what he does is also funded by local private entities.

“Emergency Management is a community-wide sport.  It takes the businesses, the private sector also helping us bring our program forward into the public eye to get all of our information out.  It’s not fair to expect the government just through taxation to sponsor our program.”

Kempf gives a couple of examples of what programs Emergency Management is involved in that can’t be fully be paid by governmental taxation.

“Our notification system costs several thousand dollars a year to provide that to our communities free of charge.  You know, our HazMat between Adair & Guthrie County is with the Council Bluffs Fire Department–our fire departments and our communities cannot afford to spend $100,000 to $200,000 to keep people trained, so with the help of our (private) sponsors we’re able to maintain that contract and get specialty teams out here.”

Kempf has issued an annual appeal asking for support of Emergency Management each of the past two years, and he’s seen a substantial rise in support.  In 2013, he received the support of one business in the form of $500.  So far in 2014… he has nine local businesses sponsoring to the tune of $1,900 dollars.

To hear our full conversation with Kempf as discusses in full detail why he feels “we’re all in it together” when it comes to emergency management, tune-in to today’s Let’s Talk Guthrie County on K107 during the 9am, noon and 5 o’clock hours.