7th annual emergency preparedness conference held in Jackson

JACKSON, Tenn. — “Something big happens somewhere, we’re all gonna be in it,” Shane Barnes, Lieutenant with the Madison County Fire Department, said.

So first responders want to make sure they’re prepared.

“We’re having our 7th annual TEPS conference, the Tennessee Emergency Preparedness Summit,” Wayne Arnold,  Medical Reserve Coordinator for the JMC Regional Health Department, said.

Emergency personnel from all over West Tennessee are learning ways to keep themselves safe.

But the biggest theme of the day, team work.

“It’s important because we can have a bad storm, we’ve had tornadoes, so if everybody’s on the same page, we can get our jobs done a lot better,” Barnes said.

The learning continued outside with JEA’s live wire truck. They’re showing emergency personnel how to stay safe if they do come across a live wire in the field.

JEA demonstrated how equipment, like ladders, or just skin will conduct electricity, causing harm to the person.

The conference continues Thursday with more guests and demonstrations, including Las Vegas Police officers who will discuss their response to the shooting at the country music festival last October.