Mint Hill Residents,

I am proud of our fire department and the work they have been doing.  In 2020, our fire fighters responded to 3927 calls for service and spent 6137 hours in training.  In addition, our ISO (Insurance Services Office) rating went from a 5 to 2.  This rating puts our fire department in the top 2.5% in the state. We are on track to break ground on an additional fire station which will be located on Lebanon Road in the next 12-18 months. 

This past week you may have noticed a lot of activity in the areas of Rocky River High School and Butler High School. This was a FEMA training drill that will show the county’s capability to handle up to 25,000 people if evacuated from a ten-mile radius surrounding one of the two nuclear plants in our area.  The training also applies to other types of emergencies that would require evacuation and housing of citizens such as weather-related incidents.  The activity included scanning each person to determine if they have radiation on them, decontamination, and providing temporary housing.  This also includes scanning of any animals that are evacuated.  State and local emergency management officials work together year-round to coordinate emergency response plans in the unlikely event of radiation release from either of the plants located in the Mecklenburg County area. 

Before an emergency happens, you should sit down with your family and create a family emergency plan.  Chances are you and family members may not be in the same place when an emergency happens. It is possible cell phone service will not be available.  Those of us who remember the attacks of 9/11 will remember that phone service was down for days due to an overload on the system.  Set up an Family Emergency Plan and share it with those close to you.

I want to congratulate all the Mint Hill businesses that were named in the 2021 Matthews-Mint Hill Best of the Weekly.  As far as I am concerned, every business in our town is a winner.  In a year that has tested the strength of our town, our community has persevered.

Have a great week! 

Brad Simmons
Mint Hill Mayor