Disaster and Emergency Services
Overview
Emergency & Disaster prepares, manages plans, and programs directed at disaster preparedness and coordination of response and recovery.
This service is mandated by State Law (10 – 3 – 401 MCA) and is provided to the City and County by mutual aid agreement. We are also responsible for the upkeep and delivery of useful information to the public via the development of a coordinating effort. 911/ Rural Addressing duties are also managed under this office.
Emergency Services
Blaine County has 3 volunteer Ambulance Crews located in Turner, Harlem, and Chinook.
Blaine County has 6 volunteer Fire Departments located in Hogeland, Turner, Harlem, Chinook, South Blaine and Lloyd.
Helpful Links
Rural Addressing
Blaine County has upgraded its 911 system to improve dispatching of emergency vehicles to rural areas. A major part of this project was assignment of locatable physical addresses. These replace all rural route, HCR/box number addresses, and give rural residents who use a PO Box for mail a physical address to be used by UPS/FedEx carriers.
The reason for the new addressing system was to assist emergency personnel in locating residents that call 9-1-1. In Blaine County, the majority of the residents emergency calls are handled through the dispatch center in Chinook. This was done primarily to decrease response time to an emergency.
When moving to, buying or building a new home in Blaine County, the utility companies in the area need the rural address in order to hook up the power, gas and telephone lines to the property. It works for the best of everyone involved to obtain your address before you need these services installed.
Blaine County collects and maintains GIS data for a number of County assets. Many of the GIS layers are available for viewing on the Interactive Maps portion of our Website.
Blaine County utilizes ESRI ArcGIS software, Trimble and Garmin GPS units, Canon plotter and printer. Data is stored in both “shapefile” and geodatabase formats. Statewide data is available online through the NRIS Geographic Information Clearinghouse.
If you currently use a PO Box located in a Post Office building, your mailing address has not changed. If you currently use a RR, HCR/Box number address, your mailing address has been changed. Please use your new address exactly as shown; do not put RT or BOX in front of the number.
It is the responsibility of the individual to change their address with all necessary agencies. All owners of structures shall, display and maintain in a conspicuous place on said structure, the assigned numbers as soon as possible in the following manner: Where the residence or structure is within 50 (fifty) feet of the edge of the road right-of-way, the assigned number shall be displayed on the residence or structure visible from the roadway. Where the residence or structure is over 50 (fifty) feet from the edge of the road right-of-way, the assigned number shall be displayed on a post, fence, wall, the mail box, or on some structure at the property line next to the walk or access drive to the residence or structure. Numbers shall be displayed in a color and size visible from the road.
Every person whose duty is to display the assigned number shall remove any different number that might be mistaken for, or confused with, the number assigned in conformance with this ordinance.
All residents and other occupants are requested to post the assigned number and road name next to their telephone for emergency reference.
If you do not yet know your new address please call 406-357-3310.
In Addition this office provides:
Mitigation
Reducing the effects of potential disasters through providing information to the public on preparing for emergencies on the individual/family level; Preparedness – Preparing for potential disasters through planning and training.
Response
Coordinating the activities of local government with state and federal agencies in responding to a major emergency/disaster, when it happens.
Recovery
Assisting local government and the public in recovering from a major emergency/disaster, when necessary.
Emergency Manager
Disaster & Emergency
420 Ohio Street
Chinook, MT 59523
(406) 357 – 3310
Deputy Emergency Manager
Lindsay Lowe
Find the Right Department
Our Office
Blaine County Courthouse
420 Ohio St
Chinook, MT 59523
Resources
Office Hours
Mon-Fri: 8am - 5pm
Sat-Sun: Closed