On May 5, 2025, Chillicothe Township and Peoria County Emergency Management organized a group of professionals that gathered at Pearce Community Center to discuss emergency preparedness. This group included representatives from the schools, several area police agencies, fire departments, highway departments, AMT, Ameren IL, Red Cross, and many others that would be essential in providing much-needed help during a disaster, as well as restoring our community after a disaster. Each of these professionals brought knowledge from their respective fields of expertise. 

One such disaster was the tornado that hit Washington, Illinois, on November 13, 2013. The retired Washington Fire Chief Mike Vaughn, a 1976 graduate of IVC, was at this meeting to share the challenges a community like ours could experience during a disaster. A disaster doesn’t have to be a tornado, it can be a flood, high winds, heavy snowfall, or loss of utilities. Preparation before an event, as well as the importance of communications during an emergency, were discussed. Restoration of essential services, search and rescue, and the potential of evacuation were also discussed. 

This was an eye-opening meeting. We shared emergency contact information with each other in hopes of never needing to use it. We all hope that an emergency never happens in Chillicothe, but being prepared for a disaster is essential for the well-being of our community.