“Whether disasters are natural or man-made, the last several years have underscored the necessity for preparedness at every level of government,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee.  “It’s hard enough to get different agencies from different levels of government to work together on normal days, let alone in the midst of a catastrophic disaster.  This Emergency Operations Center will play a vital role in a rapid and effective response should such a catastrophe occur.”

A formal analysis of the existing Emergency Operations Center by the Department of Homeland Security indicated deficiencies in all critical areas: the physical facility lacks adequate space, sustainability, survivability, and a lack of interoperable communications equipment.

Montana’s rural nature doesn’t inoculate it from large-scale natural disasters.  Located in an earthquake prone region of the country, Butte-Silver Bow is in the Intermountain Seismic Belt.  In addition, Butte-Silver Bow has one of the largest Superfund sites in the United States. The combination of these two factors puts Butte-Silver Bow at an elevated risk for a catastrophic disaster, which would necessitate an effective government response.

“I cannot thank Congressman Rehberg enough for all his efforts to make our appropriation request for our Emergency Operation Center (EOC) a reality,” said Paul Babb, Chief Executive of the Butte-Silver Bow Courthouse.  “It is our goal to be as well prepared as possible to deal with emergencies and disasters in our County.  The appropriation for the construction of a new EOC will support effective EOC operation and assist in achieving compliance with federal guidelines.  Without this funding, our local government will not be able to move forward this project.  I believe it is the strong relationship that we have developed with Congressman Rehberg and his staff that has put us one step closer to making this project a reality.”