JACKSON, Wyo. — Town Council and Teton County approved updates to the 2025 Teton County/Town of Jackson Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) this week to help ensure that emergency response efforts remain current and effective with recent population growth and environmental risks.
According to the Town and Teton County, the EOP outlines how the community prepares for, responds to and recovers from all types of emergencies. Town staff notes state that the EOP has not been updated since excessive rainfall caused flooding, rockslides and mudslides in Yellowstone National Park in 2022.
Yellowstone’s North Entrance Road, Gardiner to Mammoth, after the Yellowstone flood events in June 2022. Photo: Kyle Stone // NPS
During the Monday, April 7, Town Council meeting, Teton County Emergency Management Coordinator Rich Ochs told Town Councilors that the revised EOP will allow community members and entire neighborhoods to know how to respond when something happens. He said that the Town of Jackson and Teton County learned a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and implemented those emergency responses in the plan. Ochs stressed that the plan isn’t just for emergency responders.
“We’ve added new sections to help the public better understand how to prepare, what to expect during an emergency and how to work together as a community,” Ochs said via press release.
Ochs told Town Council that the updated plan includes new resources, including a community emergency section, a damage assessment section and emergency preparedness templates. He also said that the EOP has created a new approach to managing special events — such as races, festivals or parades — by outlining the safety responsibilities of event hosts.
The plan will also work in conjunction with Teton County Public Works and the Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Department to assist in firefighting mitigation. New guidance is included for insurance companies, landowners and homeowners that hire private firefighting contractors during wildfire season, outlining how to coordinate with official fire response agencies for safety and accountability, according to staff notes.
Additionally, the EOP provides information on how to prepare a family emergency plan, build an emergency supply kit and stay informed through official alert systems. Teton County has transitioned from Nixle to Teton_WY Alerts, a free service that sends emergency notifications directly to mobile phone numbers and email addresses of enrolled community members.
County Commissioner Jonathan Schecter asked Ochs if budgetary cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) could potentially impact the Town of Jackson’s ability to prepare for and respond to emergencies. FEMA announced on April 4 that it’s ending the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which provides grants to states, local governments and Tribes to reduce the risk from natural disasters and other hazards. According to FEMA, if BRIC grants have not already been distributed to states, Tribes and local communities, the funds will be immediately returned to the Disaster Relief Fund or the U.S. Treasury.
“Right now, it’s a ‘wait and see,'” Ochs responded. “We are still seeing if these grants will be made available. The State is still waiting to hear about what is eligible under the grant. We are applying for a protection grant, but it has been put on hiatus or cancelled.”
Ochs said that the protection grant would assist in preparing an evacuation plan for the entire community in the event of a wildfire.
