EPC Transition Committee makes progress 

Last month you heard that the Emergency Preparedness Committee’s (EPC) transitioned its leadership to the General Manager’s office. The first reasonable step toward shaping a new Villages Emergency Response Program was to form an EPC transition team, working in coordination with the Club Board, General Manager and Public Safety. The General Manager added the position of Emergency Preparedness Coordinator to the Management team 

To maintain stability during this transitional period, EPC continues to function exactly as it has until the new program is established, with the expectation that all volunteers remain in their current positions.

Since November, an Emergency Preparedness Transition Committee (EPTC) has been in place with member volunteers with  knowledge and dedication to The Villages emergency preparedness—Ray Blinde, Diane and Kyle Finley, Daniel Grim, and Fran Schumaker. Also part of the Transition Team are Club Board liaisons Larry Versaw and Michelle Breslin. Representing the General Manager leadership are GM Theresa Ostrander, Public Safety Director, Matt Hidalgo, and Elizabeth Park, Assistant General Manager (AGM) of Public Safety. 

The EPTC is currently in its discovery phase. A portion of this phase identifies resources and looks to build partnerships with city, state and federal resources. In addition, EPTC will be visiting organizations similar to The Villages that operate noteworthy emergency response (ER) programs. As part of the discovery effort, Public Safety invited Fire Station 11, including Captain Torchio and his team, and Jay McAmis, Deputy Director of San Jose’s Office of Emergency Management to the December 5 meeting. These guest speakers shared their experience with critical and practical procedures in the event of a disaster. The exchange provided valuable insights to consider as EPTC crafts a new Villages plan. 

Next, the team will revise the Charter prior to drafting an Integrated Emergency Plan. By March end,  EPTC aims to present its program recommendations to the Club Board. 

The magnitude of meeting the responsibility to safeguard and aid The Villages community of over 4000 in the event of an emergency is a weighty task. We will keep you updated as progress is made. If you have questions, please reach out to:

GM Theresa Ostrander, tostrander@the-villages.com

Club Board Liaison, Larry Versaw, larryversaw@gmail.com

Pathway to the 2025 Villages Emergency Response Program 

January – Discovery Phase

• Focus on resource identification, partnership building, and gathering insights from other communities.
• Site visits scheduled to learn best practices.

February – Pen-to-Paper Phase

• Update and draft the Charter.
• Consolidate findings and create an Integrated Emergency Plan working draft for review.

March – Final Recommendations

• Present draft recommendations to the Club Board (CBOD) during the March 25 scheduled CBOD meeting.