By Bill Short
The Millington Board of Mayor and Aldermen has adopted a resolution authorizing an agreement with Germantown for participation in the District 9 Swiftwater Rescue Team.
Board members took the action during their Dec. 13 regular monthly meeting on a motion offered by Alderman Thomas McGhee and seconded by Alderman Mike Caruthers.
The motion was passed by five affirmative votes, with Aldermen Bethany Huffman and Don Lowry absent.
The resolution states that the Millington City Charter and Tennessee Code Annotated Section 12-9-102 allow the city to enter into Interlocal Agreements with other municipalities and governmental entities.
TCA Section 58-8-102 authorizes local governments to provide emergency assistance to each other.
The board desires to participate in the creation and operation of a water rescue team that will provide response and rescue services throughout the southwestern part of the state, as well as statewide, if requested.
Subject to the review and approval of City Attorney Gerald Lawson, Mayor Terry Jones is authorized to execute the Interlocal Cooperation and Mutual Aid Agreement for the District 9 Swiftwater Rescue Team.
During discussion shortly before the vote, Fire Chief Gary Graves said District 9 is the Homeland Security District that encompasses Shelby, Fayette, Tipton and Lauderdale counties. He recalled that, in 2010, Millington realized that it did not have the capacity to do swiftwater rescues. So, during the past 10 years, the city has invested more than $150,000 for training and equipment.
Graves said the Federal Emergency Management Agency requires certain levels of certification and a certain number of people.
He noted that, last month, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency visited Millington and evaluated it for a “Type 2 Team.”
“Obviously, we can’t do a Type 2 Team, which requires 12 people,” he acknowledged. “So, we’ve partnered with Germantown and Collierville in the event that the need is there for a Type 2 Team to respond.”
He noted that Germantown and Collierville each approved the agreement at its November Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting.
In response to a question by Caruthers, Graves said Millington’s team deploys “probably four or five times a year,” particularly on the Mississippi River.
“In the last month, we’ve gone to Tipton County twice, where they’ve had stranded boaters on the river,” he noted. “We’re the closest team that’s got the capability to do anything.”
Graves said part of the TEMA evaluation was for a Type 3 Team, which requires six members. “We passed everything,” he said. “Probably in the early spring, we’ll have our designation of Millington as a Type 3 Team. And we’ll be the only Type 3 Team in the state, as of right now.”
