The Minnesota Department of Safety and the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Joey Kelly has announced that Polk County Emergency Manager Jody Beauchane is the recipient of the “2021 Emergency Management Professional of the Year” award. His statement can be seen below;
We finish the 57th annual state emergency management conference with our traditional awards ceremony. It was my pleasure to recognize Jody Beauchane as “2021 Emergency Management Professional of the Year.”
Jody has been one of the most effective and dependable county emergency managers since he was appointed in 2015. Jody learned the emergency management profession quickly and satisfactorily. He has led Polk County through the response and recovery to three presidentially declared major disasters and one gubernatorial state disaster. But the primary rationale for this award was an undeclared event – protecting and preserving public safety during the construction project to replace the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline. When it became obvious that multi-jurisdictional coordination and mutual support was needed for that project, Jody agreed to host a regional emergency operations center (EOC) at Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It was a big lift; Jody and Polk County Sheriff’s Office didn’t have to step forward and take such a significant leadership role, but they did. It was the right thing to do, and it worked very well. The replacement project was completed without any major public safety incidents, and the regional EOC was an essential factor and its success. One of the most important lessons learned from Line 3, and a best practice going forward, is the use of regional EOCs for major multi-county events.
Jody continues to do great work for the citizens of Polk County. When flooding conditions worsened this spring, Jody reached out directly to me and secured state help, most importantly the assistance of the Minnesota National Guard with emergency protective measures, most notably in the cities of Crookston and Fisher. As the floodwaters receded, Jody expertly coordinated the preliminary damage assessment (PDA) of Polk County that verified nearly $2.3M in damages and response costs that will be eligible for reimbursement by FEMA and the state under what I assume is a forthcoming federal major disaster declaration. Jody’s recent actions validate my earlier recognition of his excellent work.
Jody is a great emergency manager, and I appreciate him.
