County adopts emergency plan, vehicle accident prevention

GRANTS - An emergency action plan and a vehicle accident prevention program were approved by the Cibola County Commission last week.

County Safety Coordinator Dennis Montoya explained the highlights of the resolutions to the commissioners.

The emergency action plan details evacuation procedures for county buildings including the main building, the district courts building, the sheriff's department, the magistrate courts building and Future Foundations Family Center.

“Emergencies” are defined as fire, medical situations, telephoned or written threats and civil disturbances. “Because Cibola County has more than one building and more than one site for these buildings, it therefore makes the telephone and intercom system the primary means of communication during an emergency,” the document reads. If these systems are inoperable for some reason, notification will be made in person.

In the event of fire, a report should be made to 911, the county manager, assistant manager or department head and an announcement made to all employees before evacuation begins.

The vehicle accident prevention program outlines requirements of county employees when operating a county vehicle. “Vehicle operations are the county's greatest liability exposure and one of the leading causes of employee injury,” according to the document.

Because not all employees operate vehicles in the fleet, all staff will be classified as regular drivers for daily essential functions and non-drivers. All regular drivers must hold a valid New Mexico driver's license for the type of vehicle operated on the job. A Commercial Driver's License is legally required for the operation of certain county vehicles.

Motor Vehicle Record reviews will be conducted on new hires applying for any position involving fleet operations prior to a job offer. An unacceptable driver record may include three or more moving violations within a consecutive three year period, two or more moving violation convictions in a one year period, conviction of a major violation three years prior to the job application, a suspended, revoked or restricted license for moving violations or conviction of a major violation in the past three years.

County drivers will be required to demonstrate their proficiency by driving a vehicle or equipment similar to the one used on the job while being observed by a monitor.

In regard to upkeep of the fleet, the county will develop and implement a system of checks and a schedule for vehicle maintenance. Employees will be required to immediately report any vehicle problems to their supervisor.

All fleet accidents, regardless of how minor, must be reported, investigated and reviewed.