Like good neighbors, workers from Mahoning Co. aid cleanup

Mahoning County's EMA director said it's part of being neighborly.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Workers from some Mahoning County townships have been among those helping with cleanup from last weekend's devastating flooding in neighboring Columbiana County.
"We had people down there within hours helping with recovery and will have more people down there again this weekend," said Walter Duzzny, Mahoning County Emergency Management Agency director. "We just put out a call and they all went."
He said workers and equipment went to Lisbon from townships primarily along Mahoning County's southern tier, which borders northern Columbiana County.
Duzzny was not sure how many Mahoning County workers responded, but said they worked as part of the cleanup effort coordinated by Columbiana County officials. He said the assistance was just part of being good neighbors.
"I'm sure they would do the same thing if we needed help," Duzzny said.
Paying for costs
He said any costs for manpower and equipment will be paid up front by the workers' home townships or municipalities, who then can file to be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
"That's an allowable recovery cost, but it has to be very, very detailed in its accountability," Duzzny said.
Duzzny said the damaging floods demonstrated the critical need for counties to have a disaster mitigation plan in place. Mahoning County has developed such a plan and gotten approval from FEMA.
He said officials from townships and subdivisions across the county will be summoned to a meeting later this month to talk about the plan and ways of possibly "fine-tuning" it.
bjackson@vindy.com