Whitley County Emergency Management Agency

10/16/2026

Our Maintenance Department is looking for a part-time Janitor, responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the Government Center, Courthouse, and Annex, assisting Maintenance Staff as needed.

More information can be found here:

https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/4588830/Whitley-County-Indiana/Janitor

10/15/2026

Utility 92 is nearly complete!

Today we wrapped up the final vinyl work on Utility 92, thanks to our friends at Blue River Digital. Their craftsmanship really made it shine!

This project was made possible by a grant from the Community Foundation of Whitley County, which helped us fill a gap in public safety resources for our office and our county.

Since we acquired Utility 92 in June, it has been put to work:
✅ 3 service calls supporting community events
✅ 2 training opportunities
✅ 2 emergency responses
✅ 1 Mutual Aid Request - Damage Assessment

We are so grateful for partnerships like these that strengthen the resources available to the great county we serve. Thank you, Blue River Digital and the Community Foundation, for helping us be better prepared for Whitley County!

10/13/2026

Some great information from our friends at Whitley Camp HERO

10/12/2026

🎃 Halloween in Whitley County 🎃

Community-wide Trick-or-Treating, Saturday, Oct 31

🍬 Loon Lake: 3-5 PM
🍬 Columbia City: 5-8 PM
🍬 Churubusco: 5-7 PM
🍬 Larwill: 5-8 PM, Downtown Larwill (Larwill Lions)
🍬 South Whitley: 6-8 PM
🍬 Tri-Lakes: 6-8 PM

Trunk-or-Treat
🚗 260 Showdown Trunk-or-Treat (Shrine Horse Patrol): Sat, Oct 17, 10 AM-9 PM
🚗 Paige's Crossing: Sat, Oct 24, 3-6 PM
🚗 Whitko Pierceton Elementary: Sat, Oct 24, 6-8 PM
🚗 Mizpah Shrine Horsegrounds: Sat, Oct 24, 5-8 PM
🚗 Big Lake Church of God: Sun, Oct 25, 4-6 PM
🚗 Kroger: Wed, Oct 28, 4-7 PM
🚗 Live Heal Grow: Fri, Oct 30, 5-7 PM
🚗 Columbia City VFW: Sat, Oct 31, 3-5 PM
🚗 South Whitley Community Church: Sat, Oct 31, 4-6 PM
🚗 The Remnant Church: Sat, Oct 31, 6-9 PM

More spooky fun

💀 Kelly's Skeleton Festival, Columbia City
Saturday, Oct 17, 2-6 PM

🍂 South Whitley Library Fall Fest, South Whitley
Friday, Oct 23, 5 PM

🍂 Richland Township Fire Dept Fall Fest
Saturday, Oct 24, 5-9 PM

🎃 Little Pumpkins on Parade, Downtown Columbia City
Friday, Oct 30, 3:30-6:30 PM (Whitley County Chamber of Commerce)

🍬 Millers at Oak Point Trick-or-Treat
Friday, Oct 30, 5-7 PM

🦇 Churubusco Halloween Fest, Saturday, Oct 31 (Churubusco Chamber of Commerce)
11:30 AM Costume Contest
12-2 PM Chamber Trick-or-Treat at Downtown Businesses

👻 The Haunted Jail, Columbia City
October hours: School nights 7-9 PM (closed Mondays), Fri and Sat 7-11 PM

🎃 Pumpkin Parable, Columbia City Church of Nazarene
Saturday, Oct 31, 5-8 PM

Did we miss your event? Comment below with the details and we'll add it to this post! 🕸️

Stay safe out there: use reflective gear or glow sticks, carry a flashlight, and watch for little ones crossing the street. Happy Halloween, Whitley County!

10/10/2026

October Public Safety Coffee Series!

A big thank you to our friends at Allpro Towing and Recovery Columbia City IN for hosting this month’s Public Safety Coffee Series and providing a great spread from 1897 BBQ for our responders to enjoy!

This monthly training brings together public safety professionals from all disciplines to discuss scenarios, share knowledge, and learn more about each other’s processes, needs, and available resources.

Building these relationships and strengthening communication across agencies helps us work together more effectively when our communities need us most!

Thank you to everyone who continues to make these opportunities possible and to all our public safety partners who take the time to participate!

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone in November at a brand new location!

10/09/2026

What’s most likely to affect Whitley County? Our 2026 HIRA has answers.

Every year, Whitley County Emergency Management works to review the Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA). It helps us understand what could impact our community so we can plan, train, and prepare.

The top 10 hazards identified in the 2026 HIRA are:

Communication Failure
Wildfire
Cyber Attack
Hazardous Material - Fixed Facility
Hazardous Material - Transportation Incident
Tornado EF0 - EF2
Explosion
Derecho
Electric Power Failure
Highway Transportation Incident

Some of these may surprise you, and that’s exactly why we do this work. Knowing the risks is the first step toward being ready for them.

What you can do today:

Sign up for local emergency alerts
Keep a battery-powered or hand-crank radio and fresh batteries on hand
Build or refresh your family emergency kit
Make a plan for how your household will reach each other if phones and power go out

Preparedness is a community effort. Share this post with a neighbor, friend, or family member.

10/08/2026

"We don't get hurricanes in Indiana, so we don't need to worry."

We hear this a lot, and yes, we know the look on your face! 😄 But did you know Indiana plans for hurricanes?

We don't plan for landfall. We plan for the impact after. Here's what that looks like:

Rain and flooding. As storms move inland, their remnants can drop heavy rain on Indiana. After this year's flooding, our rivers have only just started to go down, so more water is the last thing we need.

Evacuees. When Hurricane Katrina struck, people were displaced across the Gulf Coast, and many came north, including over a million came to Indiana. A sudden influx like that strains sheltering, food, and basic needs.

So yes, Indiana plans for hurricanes, just a little differently than our friends on the coast. We're thinking of them as the season continues.

Stay prepared by always planning!

10/06/2026