Cass County Emergency Management received a special distinction Thursday.

The National Weather Service named the agency 'Storm Ready'.

“We know we’re always going to get severe weather, we just don’t know what it’s going to be or how bad it’s going to be,” Emergency Manager David Smith said.

It took years of work to earn the distinction.

The certification required a 24-hour 911 center, and several warning services for the public.

Cass County meets those qualifications and more.

Their office has state-of-the-art equipment, but Smith says safety starts with community outreach.

He also works with other county agencies like the Cass County Road Commission, to communicate when severe weather is coming.

The road commission typically uses a salt and sand mix.

“When they need to pull their trucks off the road, we know we need to pull people off the road, try to get people to stay off of the road,” Smith said.

The NWS recognition has to be earned every three years.