Schuylkill County officials have revamped an existing committee to ensure that the numerous emergency plans in the county work together without conflicts.

The Local Emergency Planning Committee is made up of firefighters, police officials, as well as representatives from industries in the county. The committee is in charge of overseeing industries that use hazardous chemicals like ammonia and chlorine.But officials with the county's Emergency Management Agency are planning to use the committee for another project, a comprehensive review of emergency plans currently in place in the county.On Wednesday, the county commissioners agreed to appoint about three dozen members to the emergency committee.They include representatives from police, large businesses like Wegmans and Walmart, firefighters and county departments."It's a good qualified group, and it's good to have them," Commissioner Gary Hess said.The committee's focus will be on planning for hazardous materials emergencies.Dozens of plans are in place, and they will all be subject to review, according to Schuylkill EMA director John Matz.That includes plans for every township and borough, school district, high-hazard dams, and more."We feel they'll have something to contribute to the group, if they don't know, they'll know who to reach out to," he said.Matz said that he wants the EMA office to have a firm grasp on where the county's most vulnerable citizens are, and the challenges that officials will face in case of a hazmat situation. He said that they will pay special attention to sites like retirement homes and day care centers, which will be a priority in case of an emergency.The process is expected to take more than a year.Matz said that they will likely break the county down into smaller regions, perhaps by school district, and address them one at a time."A lot of times in planning, you make assumptions. It's hard to say 'If this really happens, will the fire department have enough personnel to respond,' " Matz said.The committee will also continue its current task of reviewing the 80-plus reports filed each year by companies in the county that use hazardous materials.Matz said the most common hazardous materials in use in the county are anhydrous ammonia, which is used in refrigerated warehouses; chlorine, used in water treatment; and hydrochloric acid.