HERMANN — Pulling the plug before state and federal emergency planners do, the Gasconade County emergency management director has opted not to continue using Hermann Middle School as the county’s Reception Center for residents who would be affected by a radiation incident at the Callaway Energy Center near Mokane.

County Emergency Management Agency Director Clyde Zelch last week told the Gasconade County Republican that the decision to send residents of northwest Gasconade County to the Reception Center in Jefferson City makes more sense than requiring them to travel to Hermann for decontamination efforts.

The Morrison area is included in the far reaches of the nuclear power plant’s so-called radiation zone. Gasconade County’s plan for responding to an incident at the energy center called for the residents of the northwest portion of the county to come to the Hermann Reception Center.

The operation of the center came into question in August after the once-in-8-years Decontamination Drill was deemed insufficient by State Emergency Management Agency and Federal Emergency Management Agency monitors at showing it would be successful. The state and federal overseers questioned the absence of the participation by the Hermann Fire Company personnel.

The fire agency personnel and county government officials countered the federal and state agency representatives’ comments by saying the fire protection agency — like all others taking part in the drill — were given too short notice to allow the volunteer firefighters to schedule time off from their daily jobs. The SEMA representative, who also was involved in his first Decontamination Drill, acknowledged that not enough advance notice was given for the event.

Indeed, Zelch was notified only about a month in advance of the drill, which was the first such exercise for the county’s EMD and almost all others who would take part in the three-day event at Hermann Middle School in the first week of August.

A repeat of the drill was in the works for next spring during Gasconade County R-1’s multi-day Easter Break, a move aimed at avoiding the drill taking place amid regular school activity — which was the case with the August drill, concluding on the busy day that HMS students and parents were on campus to pick up schedules.

At a post-drill assessment meeting with the County Commissoion, SEMA and FEMA representatives, along with a staffer from the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, warned that if the effectiveness of the plan could not be demonstrated during the planned repeat of the drill, the county seat community could lose the Reception Center — one of three in this region. The other centers are in Jefferson City and Montgomery City.

Zelch’s decision to close the Reception Center here was disclosed late last month during a meeting of the Gasconade County Health Department Board of Trustees. The Health Department was one of the many public service agencies that took part in the drill.

The county EMD in an interview with The Republican said directing Morrison-area residents to the state capital Reception Center makes more sense than requiring them to travel to Hermann.

After all, he noted, in the event of an actual contamination incident, there would be people exposed to radiation brought into a public school environment — a move that would raise other concerns.

Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte, R-Hermann, Thursday morning said he has no problem with Zelch’s decision to discontinue using HMS as a local Reception Center.

He said he remains concerned, however, that local firefighters might be unfairly criticized for contributing to Zelch’s decision.