Diana Reel, WVU Medicine Grant Memorial Hospital’s Director of Operations and Region 8/9 Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, represented the Grant County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) at the annual State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) Conference held October 1–2, 2025, in Bridgeport, WV.
Diana participated in the LEPC Roundtable alongside representatives from Braxton, Cabell/Wayne, Mineral, and Marshall Counties. The discussion focused on comparing LEPC operations between smaller and larger counties, specifically addressing:
- Meeting frequency
- Membership and engagement
- Funding
- Community involvement
- Best practices
- Challenges
- Support needs from SERC
Diana contributed insights on Grant County’s current practices and highlighted Region 8/9 Healthcare Coalition activities—an area not initially discussed by other panel members. This brought attention to the importance of integrating healthcare coalition efforts into LEPC planning and discussions.
Additionally, one county shared their experience supporting the Mass Response Surge Exercise (MRSE), which emphasized the value of cross-sector collaboration in emergency preparedness efforts.
