The newly-formed Emergency Planning Committee met Wednesday.

The committee is made up of the Lauderdale Emergency Management Agency, Meridian Department of Homeland Security, local hospitals, schools, law enforcement agencies, and fire & rescue services.

"We are of the mentality that an emergency or a disaster doesn't stop at the city limits or the county line," said Tim Miller, director of Homeland Security. "We have assets; the county has assets. And we want to work together and be on the same page when something happens."

"In times of disaster, whether it's a hurricane or pandemic flu, we are all going to wind up working together in those situations," said LEMA director David Sharp.

The committee will meet every three months to pass along information from the state and to make sure everyone is ready for any kind of emergency that might happen.