By Steve Calahan

Director, Marshall County Office of Emergency Management

Local emergency agencies can not completely prepare for unforeseen disasters, but disaster preparedness by Marshall County’s Office of Emergency Management can help facilitate appropriate responses.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) pleads with the American public to have emergency preparedness kits for our families to have when disasters happen. This also holds true in public safety and emergency services. Constant training, holding exercises, and planning for events is critical.

Sometimes we prepare for events that simply stretch our capacity to serve, such as catastrophic events. Tornadoes, major out-of-control fires, hazardous materials spills and leaks, radioactive accidents, floods, droughts, winter storms, acts of terror, earthquakes and other events threaten to overwhelm our resources.

The prevailing thought process everywhere is always that “it’ll never happen here,” or “it won’t happen to us.” Well, that’s what the folks in New Town, CT, Joplin, MO, Jonesboro, AR, Cullman, AL, Mt. Carbon, WV, Rockwood, TN, Sumner County, TN, Waverly, TN, and Sevier County, TN, also thought. Disasters struck them and they can definitely occur here in Marshall County. The questions we must ask is how will we react, and are we prepared.

On November 19, 2016, we had a tragic fire event in a local apartment complex and the responders from the Lewisburg Fire Department, Lewisburg Police Department, Farmington Fire Department, Marshall County EMS, Lewisburg Parks and Recreation, Marshall County School System, Marshall County Office of Emergency Management, TEMA, Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, Maury County Disaster Animal Rescue Team, regional Red Cross, along with South Marshall, Cornersville, and Mooresville Fire Departments operated beautifully, if not heroically, performing their assignments. The loss of life was held to a minimum, some 140 residents and visitors were evacuated, and 92 were transported by school bus to the Lewisburg Recreation Center where they were provided shelter by OEM, Recreation Center Employees and volunteers. Victims were fed and housed for several hours until they could safely be transported back home. Many service animals and pets were also transported, given shelter, and checked by a veterinarian. Twenty-six of these residents were then given temporary housing at the Richland Inn by the Red Cross until they could return to their homes. Those who had need of medicines and other essential items had them retrieved and carried to their hotel rooms. All of this took place with very few glitches, and is a testament to the professionalism shown by our responders both career and volunteer.

While this event was tragic and the response well coordinated, it was a major event in the lives of the victims and their families. Compared to large-scale disasters, such as the fire in Sevier County, the local apartment fire cannot compare in scale. While local emergency response was well coordinated,it stretched Marshall County resources very thin.

It is imperative that Marshall County has good, rehearsed emergency response plans in place. It is important that we provide the best possible training to our people, and that we conduct exercises to improve their abilities to discover our shortcomings. We must have people who know and understand their duties when problems arise. We cannot afford to learn on the fly. We need appropriate facilities for them to work from, and to maintain continuity of government in disaster situations. It is equally important that we equip those agencies with the tools they need to do their jobs. And, it is important that we provide emergency personnel with the pay and benefits that are necessary to allow them to adequately provide for their families while putting themselves on the line for others. When you have opportunity do all that you can to support these people and their operational plans. Talk with your elected officials about legislation and funding opportunities. Consider volunteering to help where you can. There is always a place for everyone to help, and volunteers are needed. Sometimes just a “thank you” means a lot.

In closing, let me make a short attempt to answer a frequently asked question about Emergency Management’s role. Varying from county to county, it means writing, approving, and cataloging plans. It involves response to large scale events to provide that which is needed for a unified command/communication structure along with running the local emergency operations center when activated. Emergency Management provides coordination, procures assets and assesses damage. Activities also include coordination with state and federal governments for necessary assistance. In our case, it is being tasked with responding to hazardous materials and radiological accidents, responding to and coordinating search and rescue activities, and aiding local fire units. After the response it is the coordination of recovery efforts and then working on mitigation activities to try and prevent some of the effects of such occurrences.

As the mayor of Joplin wrote in an article “It happened to us,” and some day Marshall County may face similar crises.