Welcome to Madison County EMA/CSEPP
Madison County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) support disaster preparedness, response and recovery from disasters in Madison County.
CSEPP was authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1985 to provide emergency preparedness and maximum protection to communities near chemical weapons stockpiles in the unlikely event of a chemical emergency at stockpile sites. From the original nine sites, only two remain: Pueblo, Colorado and Madison County, Kentucky. For decades, about 2% of the United States’ original stockpile of chemical agents has been safely stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot in special bunkers called igloos. The safe destruction of these chemical agents is estimated to be completed by the end of 2023.
Until program completion, the funding provided by CSEPP gives Madison County tools and resources to respond to a chemical emergency. These resources also prepare our citizens for other hazards, such as as severe weather emergencies.
Projects and Updates:
Madison County residents and businesses can expect new emergency alert receivers called AlertFM to arrive at your doorsteps beginning February 27! AlertFM will notify residents and businesses of weather and chemical emergencies impacting Madison County. These small, white receivers replace the old black box radios called Advisor Alert Radios. Once you've received your new AlertFM, Advisor Alert Radios will no longer work, and CSEPP will recycle these free of charge! Beginning February 27, recycle your Advisor Alert Radio at one of the following locations: Madison County Emergency Operations Center on South Keeneland Drive, Madison County Road Department North, Madison County Road Department South, or Berea Utilities.
AlertFM is a notification system for Madison County residents and businesses. While alert systems are intended to alert you that an emergency is occuring, notification systems give details on what emergency is occuring, such as a tornado warning for the County, a chemical emergency impacting a certain zone, or a severe thunderstorm impacting the region. Plan to set up AlertFM in a place near a window and where you can hear the alert sound while you sleep!
New outdoor alert sirens are going in the ground throughout Madison County. These sirens will replace current ones, but serve the same function to alert Madison County residents who may be standing outside of emergencies. New sirens will *not* use vocal commands and will have two distinct sounds: a long, high wail for tornado warnings and an alternating high-low wail for chemical emergencies. Current sirens will continue to operate until a full system switch is made.
Outdoor alert sirens are part of alert systems Madison County has in place to alert residents to emergencies that may impact them. Alert systems are only intended to alert you that an emergency is occuring and you should go inside immediately to seek more information from a notification system. Notification systems give residents details on what emergency is occuring, and include Emergency Alert receivers, Emergency Management social media posts, and Emergency Alerts over television, radio and mobile device.