Gene Reed, right, just started a new job as EMA coordinator for Kosciusko County. His primary responsibilities will be assisting Kip Shuter, left, director of Kosciusko County Emergency Management Homeland Security. Photo by Lauren Zeugner.

By Lauren Zeugner
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Gene Reed’s first week on the job was “great!” He started Monday, May 12, as the new Emergency Management Agency coordinator. “There’s a lot to learn,” he said.

His job is to be an assistant to Kip Shuter, director of Kosciusko County Emergency Management Homeland Security.

In his professional career, Reed was a regional truck driver. He earned three national awards while driving trucks. He was named to the National Private Truck Council Hall Fame; received the Dodi Reagan Humanitarian Award; and Driver of the Year from the IRSA.

He has studied emergency services and emergency management for 30 years on his own. Reed has been on a medical response team for nine years, a member of the Red Cross for five years and has been with the Tippecanoe Township Fire Territory for nine years. He brings 25 years of emergency service and volunteer work to the job.

Reed explained his interest in emergency service began when the Brownburg Fire Department needed a truckload of supplies delivered to a community in Missouri that had been devastated by floods. When Reed arrived at the disaster site, he found a way to use his talents to help.

“Since then, I was on five national deployments with the Red Cross Medical Response Team,” he said.

For the coordinator job, Reed said there is a lot to learn.

“I’m taking it all in. I had a good idea of the job when I came into it. Kip’s been a good mentor,” he said.

His primary responsibilities will be with mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

“Hopefully, in the fall, we’ll be starting a Community Emergency Response Team training. So we’ll be looking for volunteers for that,” Shuter said. “That will be the primary part of his job, to get that up and running so we have people available for boots on the ground.”

The county used to have a CERT Team, but it’s fallen by the wayside.

During his first week, Reed has been learning about what state and local resources are available and getting signed up to be included in briefings with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security as well as other agencies. On his first day, he and Shuter attended a National Weather Service severe weather planning seminar.

Reed’s position is half-days and on-call as needed.

In his spare time he and his wife, Jane, enjoy flower gardening, growing both perennials and annuals. Reed also serves on the board of the North Webster Community Center and he is still an active member of the Tippecanoe Township Fire Territory.

The couple have four grown children, 14 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

“I’m just happy to have him,” Shuter said. “Traditionally, the EMA hasn’t had a partner, except an administrative assistant.”

Shuter explained having a coordinator is necessary with all the state and federal regulations the department works with.

“We have a lot of land to cover,” Shuter said. “We’re the fifth largest county land wise and the 21st county for a population and that goes up in the summer.”