4.1. SR 12-20-2004
Item 4.1.
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Mayor and City Council
DATE:
Pat Klaers, City Admin,!,s):.jllJ.rr}W
ytl1(ftV~
December 20, 2004
FROM:
SUBJECT:
Association of Minnesota Emergency Managers - Metro Region
Director ofthe Year Bruce West, City of Elk River
I have recently been notified that Fire Chief Bruce West has received the Association of Minnesota
Emergency Manager (AMEM) Metro Region Director of the Year award for 2004. There are 10
counties included in the metro district. Each of the six AMEM regions has a Director of the Year
A ward plus AMEM has a statewide Director of the Year A ward. Attached for your information is a
letter from AMEM Executive Director James Halstram regarding the 2004 Metro Region Director
of the Year award.
While this award is for 2004, I believe the award is really for a "body of work" over the past ten
years since Bruce West has been with the City of Elk River.. The citizens of Elk River truly need city
government the most when a disaster hits or when an emergency happens. Elk River is now much
better prepared than ever before to respond to such a siruation and the credit for our improved
starus goes mainly to Bruce West.
Since Bruce joined the city and has taken on the responsibility of emergency management director,
all key city staff members have been trained and assigned responsibilities in order to adequately
address emergency siruations. Emergency response staff, department heads, and support staff from
most city departments have all been involved in three full-scale emergency management drills since
1997. (This includes the most recent drill that took place in 2004 that revolved around a high school
shooting siruation.) The recently completed state of the art Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in
the basement of the Public Safety Building was also largely undertaken at the urging of Bruce West.
The EOC, plus the second fu:e station, were deemed necessary in order to better facilitate our city
response to an emergency.
Bruce West receiving this award gives everyone in Elk River a chance to stop and think about how
far the city has come over the last ten years in terms of being better able to respond to an
emergency. To this end, the credit goes to Bruce West for his hard work, expertise, and
professionalism. Bruce West receiving this award provides us an opporrunity to say thank you and
acknowledge his good work for the city.
s: \ Council \ Pat\2004 \ bruccaward.doc
Board of Directors
2004 - 2005
President
Kevin Mathews
McLeod County
(320) 864-1339
Past President
Bob Jacobson
City of New Brighton
(651) 288-4101
1" J1ce President
Judson Freed
Ramsey County
(651) 266-1014
]"d J1ce President
Hank Sadler
Nicollet County
(507) 934-0408
Executive Director
Jim Halstrom
Chisago County
(651) 674-5725
Judge Advocate
Julie peterson
Watonwan County
(507) 375-5841
Region J Rep
Randy Walker
Blue Earth County
(507) 387-8779
Region 2 Rep
Mike Stafford
Carlton County
(218) 384-9141
Region 3 Rep
Dave Carlson
Pennington County
(218) 681-6161
Region 4 Rep
Ron Bomstad
Benton County
(320) 968-8105
Region 5 Rep
Tammy VanOverbeke
Lyon County
(507) 537-7612
Metro Region Rep
Gary Sigfrinius
City of Forest Lake
(651) 209-9722
Association of Minnesota
Emergency Managers (AMEM)
November 10, 2004
Pat Klaers
City Administrator
City of Elk River
13065 Orono Pkwy
Elk River, MN 55330
Dear Mr. Klaers:
On behalf of the Minnesota Association of Emergency Managers
(AMEM), I am pleased to inform you that Bruce West, Fire Chief and
Director of Emergency Management for the City of Elk River, was
recently recognized as recipient of this year's Metro Region Director of
the Year award by our association. The award was presented at our
recently concluded annual AMEM Conference.
As you may know, AMEM is a statewide organization of over 400
emergency management professionals, encompassing the full spectrum of
emergency response agencies and personnel. This includes county and
city emergency management directors, as well as law enforcement, fire,
emergency medical services, state agencies and community and business
leaders.
Our Metro Region Director ofthe Year award is given "for outstanding
performance by a member Director of Emergency Management in
furthering the objectives of the Association and Emergency Management
in the metro area". In receiving this year's award, Bruce was cited for his
untiring efforts in coordinating emergency management plans, initiatives
and response in his city, and for his active and valued participation in
emergency management throughout the metro area and the state of
Minnesota. As you may know, Bruce also serves as Vice President of the
Minnesota State Fire Chief s Association.
www.amemminnesota.org
We hope you will congratulate Bruce, and let others in your organization
know of his achievement. This recognition of Bruce's efforts serves to
bring great credit upon not only himself, but the City of Elk River as well.
Sincerely,
~/
(E
Cf: Mayor Stephanie Klinzing, City of Elk River
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S G. HALSTROM
cutive Director
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