By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Emergency Management Director Adam Weishaar is concerned about what emergency resources would look like if there were a concurrent disaster while the COVID-19 fight is ongoing in the county.
"That was one of the biggest reasons we went to the commission last week and requested a burn ban," Weishaar said. "That's why were going to ask for one to continue this week is our resources are already thin through responding to the disaster that is this public health emergency."
It's not only the rank and file who are being stretched right now.
"Our administrative staff are already thin, as well," Weishaar said. "We're doing well doing things remotely right now, doing things through what I would call more of a virtual Emergency Operations Center, but if we have another disaster stacked on top of that, I'm just not sure that we could handle it virtually or what that would look like right now."
Some responders would like to see the burn ban extended at least until the Governor's stay at home order is lifted, but the commission has to this point taken it on a week by week basis out of concern for their ag constituents who would like to get burns done before it gets too hot to do them later this spring.