Emporia’s warming shelters may not have been used heavily last week, but the way they were set up may well serve as the template for future use if they are needed.
Shelters were announced at the Emporia Police and Lyon County Law Enforcement Center lobbies, as well as First Congregational, First United Methodist, the Salvation Army and Twelfth Avenue Baptist. Lyon County Emergency Management DIrector Jarrod Fell discussed policies and procedures on KVOE’s Newsmaker segment Tuesday:
Fell says two residents used the shelters, one at the Sheriff’s Office and one at First United Methodist. He also says the decision on warming shelters was only partly due to Emporia City Commission discussions about homelessness in the community, including the recent establishment of a city policy on “unlawful camping” and the subsequent formation of a task force to study the matter.
Areawide, Fell says Reading/Miller Fire Chief Jason Miller also opened up the fire department building after power outages developed in eastern Lyon County. He also noted the extreme cold from Thursday and Friday led to more weather issues with the wintry precipitation that fell Sunday night and continued to cause travel hazards through Monday.
