“This is about more than flooding,” Jones said. “We’re preparing for any threat — severe storms or toxic spills from train derailments. We refuse to be caught off guard.”
Butler County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) is working with the YMCA to initiate an “aggressive” safety campaign with a new real-time emergency alert system in development.
“We have to be on our toes,” Jones said on a Facebook live Friday.
He referenced YMCA Camp Campbell Gard in St. Clair Twp. along the Great Miami River, which averages 70-200 campers staying in 10 overnight cabins on 700 acres.
Camp lodging is 200 feet uphill from the river, and some of the lodging is on stilts due to the floodplain land.
With this system, camp staff will be immediately alerted to rising water levels, severe weather or other critical threats.
This effort is a long-term commitment, and BCSO will continue working with camp directors, first responders and environmental experts throughout summer 2025.
“We’ve seen the heartbreaking loss in Texas,” Jones said. “We’re acting now, before disaster strikes, to protect our kids.”
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