Barren County Serves as Regional Hub During Winter Storm Fern
Salvation Army trucks arrive loaded with supplies. Photo submitted.
By Jeff Jobe
Publisher
Jobe Publishing, Inc.
Barren County Emergency Management played a central role in regional response efforts during Winter Storm Fern, providing critical support to neighboring counties as widespread power outages and hazardous conditions impacted south-central Kentucky.
Following the Governor’s declaration of a state of emergency, the Kentucky National Guard was activated, and the Glasgow 623 area became a major base of operations. Electrical service was lost across southern Barren County and much of Allen and Monroe counties, prompting a coordinated emergency response.
From the Glasgow base, National Guard units provided transportation for essential healthcare workers, assisted the Kentucky Division of Forestry with clearing downed trees from roadways, and delivered Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), water, and fuel for generators throughout the region.
Barren County had secured a cache of MREs from the National Guard earlier in the storm. When Allen County and Monroe County were forced to open Red Cross shelters, delays in shipments from Kentucky Emergency Management created an urgent need for food assistance. Barren County responded by sending MREs directly to both counties.
“That was a situation where waiting simply wasn’t an option,” said Emergency Management Director and Deputy Judge-Executive Garland Gilliam. “We had supplies on hand, neighboring counties in need, and the ability to move quickly. Helping them was the right thing to do.”
That response prompted Kentucky Emergency Management to continue using Barren County as a central distribution hub for supplies serving the Barren River Area Development District region. Barren County Emergency Management subsequently assisted Simpson, Allen, Edmonson, and Metcalfe counties with the distribution of MREs and bottled water.
As outages persisted and the need for warm meals increased in Allen and Monroe counties, Gilliam was contacted by the Salvation Army for assistance with feeding operations. Barren County provided its Emergency Management warehouse as a distribution center for incoming supplies, while the Salvation Army established its operational headquarters in the Barren County Development Center conference room.
“Our goal was to remove obstacles and make sure organizations that were ready to help could do their jobs efficiently,” Gilliam said. “By offering space and logistical support, we were able to keep meals moving to the people who needed them.”
Calvary Baptist Church partnered with the Salvation Army and Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief to prepare hot meals, utilizing the church’s kitchen to support feeding efforts for affected residents.
Although Barren County was prepared to open a Red Cross shelter if needed, officials said it ultimately was not necessary. Community members stepped up to assist one another, opening their homes, providing meals to those without power, offering heat and generators, and checking on neighbors throughout the storm.
“That spirit of neighbors helping neighbors is something Barren County should be proud of,” said Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd. “Our people took care of each other, which allowed emergency resources to be focused where they were most urgently needed.”
Byrd and Gilliam remained in communication with Frankfort beginning early Sunday. Due to those efforts and established working relationships, the Governor’s Office, Kentucky Emergency Management, and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet made Barren County a priority during response and recovery operations.
“Those relationships matter in moments like this,” Byrd said. “Because of the coordination and trust already in place, Barren County was able to step up not only for our residents, but for the region as a whole.”
The Barren County Progress’s sister newspaper, The Allen County Citizen-Times, had reporters invited to participate in ride-alongs with both the Salvation Army and the Kentucky National Guard to observe and document emergency operations firsthand. Additional coverage highlighting hands-on experiences from those operations will be shared in upcoming issues, both in print and at JOBEnews.com.
Garland Gilliam meets with Deputy Adjutant General Wertzler. 2nd in command of the KY Army National Guard. Photo submitted.
Supplies are offloaded and placed inside National Guard all terrain vehicles. Photo submitted.
These vehicles are made to endure the weather we have had and even worse. Photo submitted.
Loaded and leaving with suppplies for neighboring counties. Photo submitted.
