IUPUI Student from Washington County Supports State Joint Information Center after Devastating Hometown Tornadoes

INDIANAPOLIS –Garret D. Walton, a native of Washington County, assisted with communication efforts in the Indiana Joint Information Center (JIC) as a part of the response to the tornadoes which occurred in southern Indiana on March 2, 2012. 

Walton is a 2007 graduate from West Washington Jr./Sr. High School in Campbellsburg, IN and is currently a senior at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis majoring in Public Relations and Biology. 

In the JIC, Walton monitored social media sites, drafted press releases, and provided general support to the JIC staff. 

“I'm glad to be able to use my skills and what I have learned in a real life situation”, said Walton. "Working in the JIC has reaffirmed crisis communication as a field I want to focus on in the future."

Led by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, the Indiana Joint Information Center is an emergency information coordination center to ensure the accurate and timely release of relevant information to the public during a disaster. The JIC was staffed by personnel from federal, state and local agencies. Some of the key agencies represented in the Indiana JIC include: The American Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Family and Social Services Administration, Indiana Board of Animal Health, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana Department of Transportation, Indiana National Guard, Indiana State Department of Health, Indiana State Department of Administration, and Indiana State Police.

For more information about the JIC or to contact Garret Walton for an interview, please call (317) 234-6713, or email pio@dhs.in.gov.  

Leadership for a Safe and Secure Indiana