The 33rd Annual Cook County Emergency Services Conference will once again be held on Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3, 2025, at the Cook County Community Center in Grand Marais.

This year’s conference offers a variety of presentations and training which traditionally begins on Friday at noon. This year, however, we will host a Friday morning training at Cook County Higher Education. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s office will be here to train on Haz Mat the First Hour. This training will focus on important safety considerations related to the transportation of oil and hazardous commodities through your community and the response of State Emergency Response Teams. The State Fire Marshal Division encourages departments, mutual aid partners and agencies with hazardous material facilities and transportation through their communities to attend this training.

The Duluth National Weather Service brings their expertise to our county every other year with Skywarn Spotter Training.  This is a great opportunity for community members to learn how our weather works and how we can support our local weather service by learning how to report on the weather locally.

The conference committee chose to include the following two Minnesota-based presentations because these are events that could easily happen anywhere, including right here in Cook County.

Erik Jankila, Hibbing Fire Chief and Kim Weggum, Emergency Department Manager Fairview Range Medical Center, will be on hand to present on the Hibbing School Bus Crash Response on September 12, 2024.  Learn more about the response and how the students were re-united with their parents.

On February 9, 2021 the Buffalo Crossroads Clinic in Buffalo, MN experienced an active shooter incident. The shooter injured four staff members and ultimately killed one. This presentation is the response and recovery from the Healthcare System perspective more than three years after the incident. Kyra Crepin will present on lessons learned and what we should know today.

Ana Negrete, Community Planner, MN Department of Public Safety Office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) will be here to inform us of the ongoing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Epidemic. From 27 to 54 American Indian women and girls in Minnesota were missing in any given month from 2021 to 2020. Learn more about this effort and what we can do in Cook County.

Active Shooter/Armed Intruder Training, Mike Marturano. Mike has expertise in extensive onsite training for Active Shooter/Armed Intruder training for too many years to count. Mike has trained educational institutions, Government entities, businesses, and healthcare. Join this session to learn what you need to know to keep safe or save your life in the workplace, home, or anywhere from the shopping mall to the movie theater.

Shane Sheets, Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office. Shane will share what a medical examiner’s office does or maybe what they do not do. Cook County uses the Midwest Examiners office as needed. Why? Are there other options?  What if your loved one needs to be transported to the Midwest Examiner’s Office?  Shane will answer all these questions and more.

Ted Schick, Schick Corporate Learning, Motivational Keynote Speaker on Servant Leadership will start off Saturday with a bang! A learner on one Ted’s many subjects said, "Ted uses real life examples, humor, and stories to engage every participant in a way they can’t help but learn." 

Tom Crossmon, Crossmon Consulting, Expert in Underwater Side Scan Sonar and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) and Drowning Victim Recovery. Tom has presented on his expertise in Cook County in the past. As technology changes, Tom changes with it. There is always something new to learn. Tom has worked with Cook County Search and Rescue on many recovery efforts within the county.

Minnesota Air Rescue Team (MART).  The Minnesota Air Rescue Team is a state resource specializing in aerial search and rescue, short haul extraction, and surface water rescue by use of a helicopter. The team will be on sight for a classroom session as well as an air demonstration at Cook County Airport.

Minnesota Department of Health, Crisis and Communications Training. MDH staff will be on sight to present on this important subject. How critical is communication during a crisis? Does it matter how big or small a public health crisis is? This is good training for first responders, healthcare workers, and others.

Please join us for these and many other training and offerings. Meet representatives from the Cook County Firewise Program, Attend the annual ARMER radio Refresher Training. The Emergency Services Awards will be back at the conference. The Cook County Emergency Services Conference is not only for our dedicated first responders but also for healthcare, schools and the public, please come one, come all! 

Registration will be open very soon! Stay tuned for details. For more information, contact Mike Keyport, Emergency Management Director: 218-387-3059, [email protected]

County Connections is a column on timely topics and service information from your Cook County government. Cook County – Supporting Community Through Quality Public Service.