LWV Lunch With A Leader Features Los Alamos County Emergency Manager Beverley Simpson Oct. 20

Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on October 12, 2022
- 4:57 pm

LWV News:

The League of Women Voters of Los Alamos will hold its community event, Lunch with a Leader, noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20 via zoom.

This month’s speaker is Los Alamos County Emergency Manager Beverley Simpson. Simpson organizes and directs operations of the Emergency Services Bureau and Consolidated Dispatch Center (CDC).

The Emergency Services (OEM) mission is to protect Los Alamos County through regional and local partnerships and integrating all activities necessary to build, sustain and improve the capacity to effectively and efficiently mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from threatened or actual natural disasters, acts of terrorism or other man-made disasters.

OEM activates the Emergency Operations Center (EOC); coordinates information and resources during a disaster; supports first responders; writes emergency plans; trains public safety agencies; holds exercises on disaster response and recovery; maintains public warning systems; manages Federal grant funds; assists in disaster declarations and educates and prepares our community for disasters.

These past two years, Simpson has been responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in Los Alamos County. She sent out the first situation report for Los Alamos County Feb. 6, 2020, which officially began COVID-19 response planning for the County. Mass vaccination clinics started Dec 19, 2020 and in January 2021 the vaccination clinics began and continue today. In all, 32 vaccination clinics have been conducted, 15,000 vaccines administered and Los Alamos County has remained one of the top jurisdictions for fully vaccinated residents in the State.

April 22 at 3 p.m., the Cerro Pelado Fire began in Sandoval County. A CodeRED informed the public that smoke could be seen from the Southwest. Messaging continued throughout the event. An Emergency Declaration was issued and activated at the Police Department. Preparations to evacuate the County were instigated. Pre-evacuation of the residents who required assistance and large animals began .

Simpson also is a colonel in the United States Air Force Reserves, assigned as the Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer (EPLO) to New Mexico. As the NM EPLO, she advises the Region VI Defense Coordinating Officer, other Federal entities, New Mexico, and other civil emergency management leadership, Identifying relevant gaps in civil disaster response capabilities.

Register in advance for this meeting here.