Photos courtesy UC Commissioner Lamar Paris

Blairsville, GA – The Union County Emergence Management Agency (UCEMA) convened their last meeting before the 2017 Eclipse Event yesterday, Aug. 17, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. at Union County Fire Station 1.

FetchYourNews.com reporter Mark E. Smith spoke with UCFD Chief David Dyer, leader of UCEMA, after the meeting and, again, this morning. In light of the most recent terrorist attack on innocent civilians in Barcelona, Spain just yesterday, the question was posed whether law enforcement had discussed the possibility of a terrorist attack in Union County in close proximity to the Eclipse Event. Dyer said, yes, absolutely, this possibility had been discussed at length and all government agencies, local, state, and federal, are as prepared as they can be. Smith also spoke with Union County Sheriff Mack Mason. Mason said that all personnel are constantly on the lookout for suspicious activity of that nature. It’s difficult, though, he said, to anticipate something like that.

Following the EMA Meeting, a weather briefing was broadcast by the Atlanta NOAA office for all attendees. The consensus is that the weather for the Eclipse Event will be good. There may be some cloudiness, as is usual this time of year, but, even so, the effects of the event may still be experienced: midday darkness and a drop in temperature.

Attendees included representatives from UCFD, UCSO, Blairsville PD, EMS, BRMEMC, UCRD, US Coast Guard, Red Cross, Union County Schools, 911 Dispatch, TVA, Georgia Forestry, Union General Hospital, GSP, Vogel State Park, DNR, US Forestry, UC Commissioner’s Office, Blairsville Mayor’s Office, Union County Chamber of Commerce, and NGTS Amateur Radio Club. Also attending were EMA representatives from Fannin and Towns Counties who said their preparations are much the same as Union County.

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at www.FetchYourNews.com