MURELL COLUMN FOR 9/28/2017 REGISTER STAR
EMERGENCY SERVICES CONTINUED FROM 9/14
Since no one can predict when the next emergency might strike, or what the nature of an emergency might be, county residents can take heart in the knowledge that departments across the spectrum maintain a constant state of readiness. Preparation is the key.
911 is probably the service county residents are most familiar with. At county 911, natural disasters affect the system just as it does any other branch of emergency services, and controlling the flow of non-emergency calls into 911 is always a significant challenge. There, plans and policies in place to bolster staff and modify standard operating procedures during disaster situations, to ensure all calls are handled as expeditiously as possible.
Regardless the situation, definitely one of the most important things all homeowners can do to aid emergency services is to post a 911 property number sign. Residence identification is always important, but even more so in a disaster. It not only helps responders with locating emergency scenes, but could also help with the search and accountability phase of the disaster. I encourage all property owners to ensure their addresses are clearly and adequately marked. Using reflective numbers found at your local hardware store, or a 9-1-1 address sign, goes a long way to assisting emergency responders. It’s a simple and easy way to ensure that help locates you at the time it is most needed.
The Emergency Management Division of the county Sheriff’s Office, led by Director Bill Black, engages in continuing education activities that include tabletop exercises. These exercises enable participants to visualize an event and how they might respond, and help responders keep up with ever-evolving standards and practices.
Among their myriad duties, county EMS Coordinator P.J. Keeler and his staff work to help keep local rescue squads up-to-date with ongoing service requirements.
At the county Health Department, Director Jack Mabb and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Chuck Kaiser have their hands full overseeing a long list of possible situations that they handle in conjunction with various other county departments. With much of funding from the federal government funneled into health departments, overall, our county department handles 26 different plans, a never-ending process. Keep in mind that, no matter the department, all emergency responders maintain preparedness by 1) planning, 2) methods of response, 3) how to mitigate, and 4) recovery.
Among the emergency response plans on the county Health Department list, to name just a few, are Mass Care and Shelter, Childcare Centers Emergency Response, Public Health, Public Information, Long-term Care Facilities and Hospital Evacuation, and Environmental Health Response.
This is just a thumbnail sketch of the county’s ongoing emergency response process, and doesn’t do justice to the many people in different departments who daily engage in emergency planning. But I hope it helps to refresh county residents of the day-by-day nature of what goes on behind the scenes for all involved to be in the best position possible when disaster strikes. Unfortunately, no one can stop what’s going to happen, but you can plan for it.