Paramount Planning

09/02/2026

Today, we facilitated a Sheltering Workshop discussion with Itasca County leaders and staff to discuss activation thresholds, primary and secondary responsibilities, roles, shelter and TES locations, and got a tour of the new Itasca County Shelter trailer hot off the assembly line (pictured).

Special thanks for Itasca County Public Health for sponsoring this event, Emergency Management for hosting and the morning 🍩 's, and the Red Cross shelter SMEs for helping share their knowledge and experience. A great discussion was had!

Next up: plan revisions, tabletop exercise, and a Red Cross shelter training ↗️⭐️

American Red Cross in Minnesota, Itasca County, Itasca County Emergency Management

08/02/2026

We have proudly been supporting Cook County, Minnesota Emergency Management through a recently signed agreement providing Emergency Operations Center and incident management support during the Little Knife Wildfire response since mid-July.

Working alongside the Cook County Emergency Management and Administration departments, Paramount personnel are augmenting local capacity through EOC coordination, planning, situation reporting, information management, public information support, resource tracking, evacuation messaging, coordination, documentation, and transition planning.

Cook County officials are working to ensure a smooth transition within the county’s emergency management department as Emergency Management Director Mike Keyport prepares to retire Sept. 1. The Cook County Board of Commissioners formally accepted Keyport’s resignation during the July 28 meeting....

07/23/2026

If you've lived in the Northern Plains for more than a week, you know the weather forecast is more of a suggestion.

One side of the road gets an inch of rain. The other side gets an inch of dust.

That's why we're giving away free Paramount Planning rain gauges while supplies last. They're perfect for keeping track of what actually fell at your place instead of what the weather app thought happened.

Send us a message if you'd like one. We'd be happy to put one in your hands! Maybe they will help us get out of this drought we are in!

🌧️ Free while supplies last.

07/20/2026

🎉 11 years of planning ahead - through sunshine, storms, and whats ahead!
⛈️☀️📝

07/15/2026

🔥 Free Evacuation Checklist Magnets Available!

With all the wildfire activity in northeastern Minnesota, we put in an order for these newly designed magnets for residents, businesses, and emergency management offices to have (delivery expected early next week). We are offering free 4" x 7" Evacuation Checklist magnets designed to help households quickly remember the importance of specific items to grab while evacuating.

• What to take first
• What to grab next
• What to consider if time allows
• Important steps before leaving

These magnets are available free of charge and will be handed out by staff at local fire prevention events or can be requested through our Fire Prevention Coordinator for pick up. Send us a message if you are interested. If you are an emergency manager and would like a stack to hand out, please pm us.

Place one on your refrigerator so your household has a simple, easy-to-find reminder when it matters most.

Leave early. Don’t delay evacuation. Listen to local officials.

# Ready Today. Resilient Tomorrow.

07/10/2026

𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐢𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐎𝐏 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞

We are finishing up a fresh Emergency Operations Plan for the City of Hibbing, MN. The new plan is aimed to align with county, state and federal standards and assit in codifying roles and responsibilities of city staff when an emergency happens. Our staff presented the draft plan on Wednesday at the Hibbing City Hall Council Chambers (pictured) and solicited feedback for the final document.

Special thanks to the Hibbing Fire Department and City Administration for prioritizing this project and potential future exercise to test the plan.

Fun Fact: The City of Hibbing is the largest city in Minnesota by square miles....by more than double.🥇

07/02/2026

Walsh County, ND Hazard Mitigation Plan

Walsh County, ND has contracted Paramount to update the County Hazard Mitigation Plan for the State and FEMA.

On Tuesday, over 25 people attended the kickoff meeting at the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) meeting - learning about the planning process, ranking hazards that affect their jurisdiction, and thinking about mitigation activity that may help reduce or eliminate the risk to local infrastructure to future disasters.

It was a great meeting with fantastic discussion! The plan is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

06/20/2026

Staff are out at the Two Harbors Farmers Market today representing Lake County Firewise with an informational and educational table for community members stopping by for fresh produce. 🔥🚫

With all the area wildfires recently, there has been a lot of interest from local residents wanting to learn more about wildfire preparedness and simple steps they can take to help protect their homes, property, and neighborhoods.

Firewise Tip: Start with the first 5 feet around your home. Clear leaves, pine needles, brush, and other flammable materials away from your foundation, deck, steps, and vents. Small cleanup steps close to the home can make a big difference during wildfire season. 🏡

Stop by, grab some information, and learn how you can make your home more wildfire-ready!

https://lakecountymn.gov/emergency-management/firewise/

Learn more from Minnesota Firewise: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/firewise/index.html

06/05/2026

We are helping create a After-Action Report and Improvement Plan with Crow Wing County Emergency Management and local responders and fire departments for the May, 2026 Flanders Wildfire which burned 1712 acres.

All responders did fantastic work and worked hard to protect lives, property and the environment, leading to minimal losses. 👏

05/27/2026

𝙊𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙍𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙀𝙭𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙥
May 19, 2026 | Duluth, MN

Thank you to the approximately 75 participants who joined the Northeast MN Healthcare Coalition for the recent Operation Cold Roost exercise, held the morning of the Under One Roof Conference in Duluth.

Participants worked through a realistic, cold-weather emergency scenario at fictitious jurisdictional tables, including the State of Northmere, Ironpine County, City of Harbor Falls, and Cedar Narrows with the goal of practicing coordination, communication, information sharing, resource requests, public messaging, and response decision-making during a complex incident. This included facilitated discussion, and completing documents like ICS forms and other documentation to blend discussion and functional components.

Exercises like Operation Cold Roost help strengthen regional partnerships before emergencies happen and support a more prepared, coordinated, and resilient healthcare response system across Northeastern Minnesota and more broadly.

Thank you to all participating agencies, partners, controllers, evaluators, and exercise staff for helping make this exercise a success! We are stronger together.