The Winn Parish Police Jury has named Mrs. Cindy Tilton as director of the local Office of Emergency Preparedness, to serve in that role from April 1 through the end of the year.

Mrs. Tilton has worked in that office as administrative assistant under Sheriff Cranford Jordan who has been acting director since 2016.  Harry Foster served as the office’s director from 2008 until 2015.  Before the appearance of the term “OEP,” Dorman Guilliams served from 1992 for some years as Civil Defense director.

The topic of OEP director was on the agenda at an earlier jury meeting when they went into executive session to discuss the matter.  A special session was called March 5 to review that position and again the lawmakers entered executive session, coming back to open session 40 minutes later to approve the contract with Mrs. Tilton through December 31 this year.

“It is the duty of the Police Jury president to appoint the OEP director,” said president Frank McLaren.  “We wanted to bring that office back under the wings of the jury.  She’s got the experience.  She’s done the work at that office for eight years.”

An Internet source suggests that “Emergency Preparedness Coordinators plan and direct disaster response or crisis management activities, provide disaster preparedness training, and prepare emergency plans and procedures for natural (e.g., hurricanes, floods, earthquakes), wartime, or technological (e.g. hazardous materials spills) disasters or hostage situations.”

The parish Emergency Management Committee will meet today (March 13) at the rifle range.