Let's Talk, Ochiltree - Emergency Mgmt Clarification

Greetings, Ochiltree County.  I want to thank KXDJ again for hosting a candidate forum last week.  Here is the link if you haven’t heard it yet: https://highplainsobserverperryton.com/

During the forum, Mr. Floyd was provided an opportunity to provide not only his answer to the emergency management question but to also provide a rebuttal to how I responded to the same question.  Since the same courtesy was not extended to me on any questions, I hope you don’t mind that I do that here.

• We do have a Panhandle Regional Mutal Aid Agreement in place with the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission (PRPC).  This works between surrounding jurisdictions to render aid, covers the 26 counties of the panhandle, and can be used when local resources are not enough.

• Interlocal agreements for local emergency support are still needed with the city, schools, churches, non-profits, and businesses.  Having these agreements in place will allow for a quicker response to the needs without duplicating efforts and causing confusion.

• The Ochiltree Emergency Plan is indeed a confidential document and cannot be shared in its entirety.  But parts of it can be used to provide training to the community so they know what to expect from the authorities.  Educating the community may lessen the immediate panic, decrease the number of calls coming in to 911, and improve their cooperation in an emergency.

• Ongoing training and planning are still needed for all stakeholders of the plan so that everyone knows immediately where to go and what to get started on.  This will allow them to know who is doing what so that efforts are not being duplicated and unnecessary calls are being made. 

• Not all stakeholders are being notified of meetings and trainings.  Some stakeholders were not even aware they are in the plan.

• The adage “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink” does pertain when providing training and town hall meetings.  People may not always show up, but we need to at least make it available.

• Having a dedicated website (not just a Facebook page) would provide a static location for accessing needed information like alert systems, what public should know, where things will be staged, incident updates, general information number, donations, etc.

• I still can’t find any information about the Citizen's Emergency Response Team (CERT) program that we apparently have in Ochiltree.  If someone can find it and forward me the link, I would be grateful.  It can be emailed to brendaforjudge@gmail.com.

• Planning and carrying out an Emergency Management Program is not just about the director or coordinator.  It’s a team of people working together for a common goal.  It’s about communicating before, during, and after an emergency.  It’s providing regular and ongoing training and planning for everyone involved.

The residents of Ochiltree County and surrounding communities have shown how reliable and self-sufficient they are.  Without hesitation, they pull together to help one another whether or not an emergency plan is in place.  With an official plan in place that is communicated and practiced, further resources and actions can take place to expedite the care and recovery of the community.