The Brewer Public Library in Richland Center will be open from 9 am to 6 pm Monday-Thursday, Fridays from 9 am to 5 pm, and Saturdays from 9 am-1 pm.

The Woodman Community/Senior Center in Richland Center will also serve as a warming location during normal business hours, which are Monday-Friday 8 am-4:30 pm.

The Village of Viola Office will be open during normal business hours from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and can make the senior dining site available during that time.

The Viola Public Library will be open in the Viola area on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 am-12:30 pm and 1 pm-5 pm, on Wednesdays and Fridays from 2 pm-7 pm, and on Saturdays from 9:30 am-12:30 pm.

The Lone Rock Community Library will be open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Fridays 11:00 am to 5:00 pm; Thursdays 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Officials will monitor the use of the warming centers and the extreme cold to determine their continued need during this excessive cold event.

For more information about staying safe during cold and other related events, check the Richland County Health and Human Services Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/rchhs or the Richland County Emergency Management Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RichlandCountyEmergencyManagement/.

The incident involved the release of water treatment chemicals from the plant boiler, which entered the storm drain and flowed to a tributary of the Pine River.  The flow did not reach the Pine River; and water samples taken upstream, downstream and in the tributary tested at normal levels.

The cooperative appreciates the agencies for their partnership to develop and quickly implement the successful mitigation plan, including Richland County Emergency Management, the State DNR, Vernon County Hazmat, the Richland Center Fire Department and City Utilities.

The situation is under control; and there are no threats or hazards to the public, wildlife, livestock or environment.

— Statement from Foremost Farms —

The Richland Center Fire Department has taken incident command and Richland Center Emergency Manager is on scene.  Richland County Emergency Management is supporting all operations with resources and coordination.  State DNR and Vernon County Hazmat are also assisting in the incident.

The chemicals flowed to a rainwater containment area, and the spill is no longer active.  There are no immediate threats or hazards to the public or livestock and no action needs to be taken by residents at this time.  The situation is under control and all partners are working together to develop a mitigation plan.

Updates will be provided as they are available.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

At approximately 10:08hrs on June 5, 2024, the Richland Center Fire Department was dispatched to the 24000 blk of State Hwy 58 for a report of a propane leak.

Upon arrival fire crews located a natural gas service line near a residence had been struck by a contractor performing ground work. Due to the nature of the leak, varying wind conditions, and unknown ETA of utility service provider, the immediate area was evacuated with the assistance of Richland County Sheriff’s Office. Evacuations included private residences, a day care, and a few faculty members at Ithaca High School. Due to the scope of the incident Richland County Emergency Management also responded to the scene. Richland County Ambulance Service also responded to establish a reunification point for families of the day care students that were evacuated.

Upon arrival of the utility service provider, crews located low level natural gas readings in the storm drains directly across from the broken service line. The leak was mitigated by the utility service provider at 11:48hrs. All structures in the area were assessed for the presence of natural gas and 1 residence was ventilated due to low level readings. The storm drain system was also ventilated. A third assessment for gas readings found no natural gas present in the area structures or storm drain. Incident was deemed under control at 12:21hrs and all responding units cleared.
Questions in regards to this incident can be directed to Director Michael Jessen at 608.604.7736 or michael.jessen@co.richland.wi.us.

**END**

06-05-Press-Release

The survey results and the information gathered from the upcoming preparedness workshop will used in the development of the IPP. The IPP is not limited to just training and exercises but is being developed to address potential gaps in response and recovery capabilities as well as to improve overall preparedness efforts across our County.

Richland County Emergency Management is requesting members of the community to participate and give their input on local preparedness priorities through a survey. The survey should take no more than 10-15 minutes to complete and can be accessed at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/IPPWsurveySWWI.

If you have any questions or need assistance with the survey, please feel free to reach out via email at darin.gudgeon@co.richland.wi.us or phone at 608.647.8187. Richland County Emergency Management would like to thank you for being a part of our community’s preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.

Mitigation actions reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from hazards. These preventative actions can be as simple as elevating a furnace in a basement that sometimes has water on the floor. Mitigation can also have a comprehensive approach such as relocating buildings out of the floodplain or strengthening critical facilities to prevent wind damage and provide stronger shelter.

In an effort to better prepare Richland County to manage its vulnerability to disaster, Darin Gudgeon, Richland County Emergency Management Director, applied for and received a Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) plan update grant. This goal of this project is to complete the federally required 5-year plan update, which is due to be completed by October 2022. The County All-Hazards Mitigation Plan serves as a roadmap that outlines potential cost-effective hazard mitigation activities, some of which might be available for future grant funding. Hazard mitigation plans and projects reduce overall risks to the population and structures while also reducing reliance on funding from actual disaster declarations. For example, the rigorous building standards adopted by 20,000 communities across the country are saving the nation more than $1.1 billion a year in prevented flood damages.

The plan is designed to look at the risks and vulnerabilities that the county faces from natural disaster and to develop mitigation strategies that might reduce future losses. As part of this planning process, Gudgeon assembled a workgroup to review and guide the plan update activities. The workgroup reviewed background information about events that have occurred in Richland County, conducted surveys with all the municipalities and public infrastructure entities, and identified several mitigation strategies that could help reduce loss in future disasters. Gudgeon stated, “the input provided by the surveys and the subsequent mitigations strategies that were identified can have long-lasting impacts, making Richland County safer and more disaster-resistant.”

County and State emergency management officials recognize the importance of having members of the community involved in the process, and Gudgeon would like to ensure that all interested members of the community have an opportunity to provide input into the hazards mitigation plan. If you are interested in more information about the plan or would like to provide input into the plan, you can reach out via email to either Darin Gudgeon at darin.gudgeon@co.richland.wi.us or John Heinen at john.heinen@co.richland.wi.us.

Hazard Mitigation Plan PDF

The Brewer Public Library in Richland Center will be open from 9am to 5pm Mondays and Fridays and on Wednesdays from 9am to 6pm. The library is open by appointment only on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am to 5pm and from 10am to 2pm on Saturdays. On days when the library is available by appointment only, those seeking relief from the heat may call the library at (608) 647-6444 or may knock on the door to request assistance from library staff.

The Woodman Community/Senior Center in Richland Center will also serve as a cooling location during normal business hours or when a community-wide event that is open to the public is being held.

The Village of Viola Office will be open during normal business hours, and will make the senior dining site or a conference room available during that timeframe as a cooling location in the Viola area.

The Lone Rock Community Hall will be the site of a cooling center in the Lone Rock area. Please call Brad, Village of Lone Rock, at (608) 604-4527 for more details and to gain access to the
building.

Officials will monitor the use of cooling centers and the extreme heat to determine their continued need.

Please visit the Richland County website at www.co.richland.wi.us for more information on the location of cooling shelter locations.

PPE (focus is on these products)

• N95 Masks
• Surgical Masks
• Non-surgical Masks
• Gloves
• Gowns
• Booties

It’s Simple to Connect

1. Log-in with your name and company on the dashboard at https://fema.connectsolutions.com/ppeexchange
2. Follow instructions on completing either the need or sell section.
3. Contact individuals via their provided contact information.
4. When you log out of the Dashboard, your information remains, but no one can connect with you in the Dashboard. Providing your contact information is important.

This dashboard is not for government contracting.

A warming center will also be available in Viola.  The Viola Public Library is open on Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30AM to 12:30 PM and 1:00PM to 5:00PM and on Wednesday and Friday from 2:00PM to 7:00PM.  If needed, the library will also be open from 9:30AM to 12:30PM on Saturday.  If the library needs to be accessed, please call 627-1850 to ensure that the building is open.

In Lone Rock, the Lone Rock Village Office will be open from 9:00AM to 3:00PM for those seeking relief from the cold.  The Lone Rock Community Hall may also be an option. Those who wish to utilize the Lone Rock Community Hall should call the number listed on the building to ensure that it is available.

Local officials will determine whether warming centers are safe to be open.  Listen for updated announcements regarding whether a site is open.  Utilization of the sites will be monitored to identify if a need exists or if the weather warrants the continued need for such.

Residents reminded to stay cool, hydrated, and informed during extreme heat

Richland Center— High temperatures are expected over much of Wisconsin during the next week, and Richland County Public Health is reminding residents to take steps to stay cool during this heat wave.

Follow these tips to stay safe during extreme heat:

• Stay in air conditioning. When possible, stay in air conditioning on hot days. If you don’t have air conditioning, head to libraries, malls, and other public spaces to keep cool. The Richland County Courthouse will be open for those seeking relief from the heat from 8AM to 6PM every day.  On the weekend, the public must buzz in in order to access the building.  Conference Room 2 will be open for those needing the service.  The Brewer Library will also be open to residents who should call 647-6444 to obtain the library’s hours of operation.  Likewise, the Viola Public Library welcomes residents to cool off at their facility during the upcoming heat wave.  Residents are encouraged to call 627-1850 to check on the dates and times when the library will be open.
• Check on loved ones. Be sure to check on older friends and neighbors who live alone and don’t have air conditioning.
• Avoid the hottest part of the day. If you have to be outside, stick to the cooler morning and evening hours. Wear light, loose clothing and take frequent, air conditioned breaks.
• Beware of hot cars. Never leave a person or a pet in a parked car, even for a short time. On an 80 degree day, the temperature inside a car can reach 100 degrees in less than 10 minutes.
• Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water on hot days. Avoid alcohol and hot, heavy meals.
• Stay informed. Watch your local weather forecasts so you can plan outdoor activities safely. Pay attention to any extreme heat alerts.
• Remember that anyone can get sick from the heat. In Wisconsin, people ages 15-34 are the most likely to report to the ER for getting sick from the heat. No matter your age or how healthy you are, it’s important to stay cool, hydrated, and informed on hot days.

If you start feeling overheated, weak, dizzy, nauseated, or have muscle cramps, you could be experiencing heat illness. Move to air conditioning, drink water, get under a fan, and put on cool washcloths. If your symptoms worsen or don’t improve, go to the emergency room.

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