Mark Schlachtenhaufen
EDMOND — State officials are asking Oklahomans if they are ready for the next emergency, and Edmond residents are no strangers to natural emergencies, including tornadoes and ice storms.
At RedDirtReady.com, visitors are encouraged to complete a 10-question quiz that begins:
1. Do you know if your local government has an emergency or disaster plan for your community?
2. Do you know how to find the emergency broadcasting channel on the radio?
3. Do you have a kit of emergency supplies like water, food and medicine you keep in your home?
4. Do you know how many days’ worth of emergency supplies you should have for each family member?
5. Do you have a small kit of emergency supplies for your car?
If you answered “No” to any of these questions — and that’s just half of the quiz — you’re not Red Dirt Ready, officials say. But you can be, and having an ever-growing number of Oklahomans ready for the next emergency is the campaign’s goal, said Kerry Pettingill, director of Oklahoma’s Office of Homeland Security.
Mike Magee, Edmond’s emergency management coordinator, said the level of preparedness among local residents depends on whom is speaking.
“Some people have the ‘it will never happen to me’ attitude and some people are very aware of the threats and are very prepared,” Magee said. “If people will visit the Red Dirt Ready Web site and heed the suggestions, they will not only be more prepared from a personal perspective, they will also contribute toward making the whole city more prepared.”
The events that transpired on Sept. 11, 2001, spurred increased national and local preparedness efforts. Pettingill said the Red Dirt Ready campaign is designed to reach individuals who have not yet reacted to the message.
“In order for you to be more secure at home or work, for the state and nation to be more secure, we all have to do our individual part,” Pettingill said.
Pettingill said many individuals want to do more but lack the confidence or knowledge to take the next step. He said there are many ways to get involved.
Magee said individuals and families should create a preparedness kit, stay informed and consider becoming part of a “response team” through area citizen corps programs.
Citizen Corps is the federal government’s grassroots strategy to bring government and community leaders together to involve citizens in all-hazards emergency preparedness. Partner programs include community emergency response teams, the Fire Corps, USAonWatch, the Medical Reserve Corps and Volunteers in Public Service.
Edmond has a community emergency response team consisting of a total of about 60-70 volunteers at any given time, Magee said. Some team members assisted with damage assessment following the Feb. 10 tornado, he said.
As a city, Edmond has assessed the hazards and threats, has good preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation plans, trains and equips and organizes paid and volunteer responders and conducts drills to assess its capabilities, Magee said. They help the city improve where necessary, he said.
Edmond Police routinely collaborate with both UCO and the city’s public schools. In July, police and other city agencies participated in a mock armed assailant exercise at Edmond Memorial High School. The EPD also has a well-attended Citizens Police Academy. The University of Central Oklahoma has developed a disaster mitigation plan, part of which involved identifying hazards and reducing their potential impact.
Pettingill said in addition to a Web presence, Red Dirt Ready includes public service announcements aired on multiple media outlets. The campaign is scheduled to end sometime this spring, he said.
Pettingill said having a family plan in place before the next event happens will help Oklahomans respond afterwards. Information on how to develop a plan is posted at RedDirtReady.com. The site also contains information on related volunteer opportunities.
Magee encouraged Edmond residents to visit RedDirtReady.com and similar sites. He said anyone with questions about how to get involved in Edmond may call his office at 359-4378.
marks@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 102
