February 12th — Aroostook County, ME — Aroostook County Emergency Management hosted a full day of meetings and training with various partner groups to discuss response and recovery activities. The day began with a volunteer incident management assistance team going over drone program capabilities and how aerial support may help communities during large-scale incidents.

In the afternoon, local emergency management directors from across the county gathered to talk about federal public assistance programs that help with disaster recovery. The panel also discussed best practices for running local emergency operations centers while still providing services in their areas. The evening session brought together the county’s critical incident stress management team, which trains to support first responders following difficult calls. Officials said strong partnerships and ongoing training help improve coordination and readiness across Aroostook County.