Sedalia Council Hears Update from EMA Director

Sedalia City Council heard three presentations Monday night – updates concerning EMA, Finance and Wastewater.

Sedalia-Pettis County EMA Director Trisha Rooda gave her annual report, which focused on multiple training sessions and exercises for the 25 volunteers who make up the EMA locally, and that includes storm spotter training, siren testing (16 sirens across Sedalia), hazmat workshops and natural disasters.

Rooda noted that so far in 2025, there have been 65 weather advisories, 26 severe thunderstorm watches and warnings, and eight tornado watches and warnings.

52 hours were spent monitoring the weather during severe thunderstorm watches, and 23 were spent monitoring during tornado watches so far in 2025.

She added that storm shelters were opened by the EMA during each event.

Listed among the equipment that EMS has at its disposal is a portable MOSWIN radio. MOSWIN is the Missouri Statewide Interoperability Network, and a dual-band, P-25 compliant radio is necessary to communicate with other agencies across the state.

Rooda noted that this was the first time the grant application for the MOSWIN radio was successful.

Rooda's estimate for EMA's 2026 budget is $209,307. Funding comes from an annual EMPG grant ($51,901), the County of Pettis ($89,948.50) and the City of Sedalia ($67448.50).

She noted that the EMPG (Emergency Management Performance Grant) provides a 50/50 grant for salaries, requiring one tabletop and one operational-based exercise to be conducted by the local EMA each year in order to qualify.

The money originates from FEMA and is distributed through SEMA, Rooda said.

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Future plans include awareness of the upcoming FIFA World Cup event coming to Kansas City, establishing a plan for personal pets when shelters are in use and ongoing EMA presentations to local businesses and civic organizations.

For more information, contact the Sedalia-Pettis County EMA at ema@petttiscomo.com or call (660) 827-4800.