Waukon High School graduate returns home to serve as Emergency Management Coordinator

by Joe Moses

A familiar face has returned to the Waukon area to carry on a career steeped in serving and protecting.

Corey Snitker, a 1985 graduate of Waukon High School, began his new position as Emergency Management Coordinator with Allamakee County in late April of this year. Snitker is also a graduate of Iowa State University, where he attended with a Marine option ROTC scholarship.

Snitker came to his new role in his native Allamakee County with an impressive resume of professional accomplishments and public service, including experience in the military and in law enforcement. He had served in the Marines for seven years and continued with the Iowa National Guard while residing in Denison during his time as a Deputy Sheriff in Crawford County. Snitker enlisted full-time with the Iowa National Guard and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2007, where he was part of Task Force Phoenix as one of the embedded trainers working with the Afghan National Army and also attached to the 82nd Airborne.

In 2010, he retired from the National Guard after completing 20 years of military service with his time in the National Guard and the Marine Corps. He returned to Allamakee County in 2014 and currently has a son in college. Snitker has enjoyed being back in Allamakee County to be closer to family and friends in the area.

His years of experience as a Deputy Sheriff and his work in the military have provided an extensive background that mirrors many of the responsibilities involved in his new Emergency Management Coordinator role. This experience has helped Snitker develop an understanding of the different emergency agencies and departments that play a role in the emergency management process.

The Emergency Management Coordinator's responsibilities include coordinating resources before, during and after an emergency; managing activities relating to mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery; coordinating the planning process and working cooperatively with organizations and government agencies; and identifying and analyzing potential effects of hazards that threaten the county or region.

In this role, Snitker is responsible for developing and maintaining a Comprehensive Emergency Plan and testing this plan through exercises. He assists other governmental agencies within the county in developing organizational plans and training programs. Snitker will be developing standard operating procedures for the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and will supervise EOC operations. The Emergency Management Coordinator plays a liaison role in working with local, county and state offices as well.

The state of Iowa is currently divided into six emergency management districts. Snitker represents Allamakee County through his involvement with District 2. He has been granted voting rights by the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors to represent the County within this association. The Emergency Management Coordinator is involved with public events and assists event planners with public safety issues and in the development of response plans.

Snitker is working with Fire Departments in Allamakee County in improving training exercises. He is also enjoying assisting companies and employers in developing emergency response plans. Recently, he began assisting Agri-Star in Postville with updating its emergency response plan. He is also in charge of investigating County employee Worker's Compensation claims. Public events and school districts are also safety concerns that fall under the Emergency Management Coordinator role.

Snitker is enjoying the continuing education and training involved in his new position. Throughout his career, he has enjoyed serving and protecting the public. He views the Emergency Management Coordinator position as a personally rewarding opportunity to protect lives and property and to help regional agencies and organizations plan for and respond to any disaster events that may affect the safety and well-being of his native Allamakee County.