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| Volunteers honing emergency management tactics |
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SHOW LOW - When they got over the initial shock of the 2002 Rodeo-Chediski Fire, people in the White Mountains were amazed that no lives were lost and no serious injuries occurred. Divine providence may have played a part in saving life, but so did planning. Since the fire more than 60 entities across northern Arizona have been quietly coordinating their responses to fire, flood and other natural disasters in an effort to improve their services and response time.They are all part of NARVOAD, Northeastern Arizona Regional Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. The Salvation Army is taking the lead in fostering NARVOAD's mission of "cooperation, collaboration, communication, and coordination." Through the efforts of NARVOAD, emergency information numbers have been set up in southern Navajo and Apache counties. Navajo County residents may call 593 for information on any kind of emergency or evacuation. Cellular One customers may call *593. Apache County residents should call 1-928-333-3412. The Internet address is www.593.org. NARVOAD has also compiled an updated roster of all the people involved in the organization and what they can contribute in the way of resources, training and personnel. A sizeup of what has been done and what needs to be done was the order of business at a NARVOAD meeting in Show Low Oct. 30. There were representatives of Navajo and Apache county governments, fire districts, social service agencies, and religious and national organizations involved with disaster relief. Ashlee Gunter, Flagstaff, Red Cross disaster specialist in northern Arizona, told the group she is impressed by the level of preparedness in Navajo and Apache counties. Larry Dunagan, Navajo County Emergency Management director, reported that the first activation of the new NARVOAD plan was during the Potato Fire near Heber/Overgaard last summer. He said, "It gave us a chance to see if our plans and processes will work for a larger disaster. It was successful. The recent full scale disaster drill in Holbrook and Sun Valley worked well, too." Anthony Cox, Arizona Department of Emergency Management, called for the development of a "Mud Out/ Muck Out Team" in the region that can be called upon in a flood. Cox said, "You worry about wildfire here, but flooding in Arizona occurs at twice the rate of wildland fires." He gave as an example the flooding that occurred in Cibecue and Carrizo following the Rodeo-Chediski Fire, and the recent flooding in the Snowflake/Taylor area. He and David Sherman, Salvation Army, asked NARVOAD members to contact their pastors to ask for Mud Out/Muck Out volunteers. Cox and Sherman worked with flood victims in Texas and New Mexico for weeks last summer. They said New Mexico and Texas lacked coordinated resources. Cox said, "What you have here is special ...The fact that you have government working with you and help in survivor recovery is special. What you have going here is amazing. "A lot of flood relief work comes down to mucking out homes and clearing debris. We don't have a robust capability to do that here." Sherman said there is a need for volunteer teams to stay in touch with local governments and know what their plans are. He said, "Some places in Texas and New Mexico had mud four feet high in the houses. After we mucked out all the houses - it was hard work - the city condemned the property. We were hampered by the fact that nobody spoke English and we had to tell people their homes had to be torn down." They encouraged everyone to look into the National Flood Insurance Program, or at least make sure they have flood insurance. In an emergency, FEMA assesses the damage, then hands the bill over to insurance providers to pay. The more the insurance company covers, the less community resources are strained. In the White Mountains residents need to be prepared every year for snow. Sherman said residents need to know how they as individuals, organizations, and agencies can respond to another "five-footer" like they had last year. Some people in the Show Low Pines area were stranded for days. First of all, he said, talk to neighbors. Ask if there is anyone unable to get out for food or medicine and prepare to help them if necessary. In addition, people who live in Arizona's high country should keep at least a few days supply of food and medicine on hand as well as having alternative methods of heating and lighting in case the power lines are down. Navajo County is also preparing for a medical disaster such as an influenza epidemic or bioterrorism incident. Retired Department of Defense Cmdr. Dan Roper said, "The hospitals are already full. We are working on establishing Community Care Centers to take care of people who are less sick." These shelters would be run by trained volunteers, with the emphasis on "trained." Roper said, "People who are not trained get in the way. Volunteers need to be able to follow orders." While doctors and nurses are taking care of the critical patients in hospitals, volunteers could handle much of the work in the shelters. "We don't need doctors and nurses to feed people or help them go to the bathroom," he said. "There will be a restructuring of medical personnel. Some of them may come in from outside," he said. "We'll be tapping our EMS resources, and Northland Pioneer College students and teachers. They will be our primary source ... We are writing a proposal to the college asking for an NPC class in bioterrorism." The big problem will be getting supplies like cots and blankets, he said, but the county is working on stockpiling them. In what was expected to be the largest public health exercise in the state, Navajo County sponsored a mass vaccination of this year's 'flu vaccine Thursday at the Show Low Armory. On one last happy note, the Red Cross is aware of the tragic loss of pets during Hurricane Katrina and other emergencies. Gunter said the Red Cross is working on a program that would keep pet animals with or near their owners during evacuations by setting up a system of portable crates that can be temporarily kept in tents near the human shelters. From the lessons of the past, emergency response groups have learned that communication between agencies is vital if lives and property are to be protected. People may not remember what NARVOAD stands for, but they will remember its importance the next time an emergency incident hits home. Anyone interested in volunteering to help in emergencies may call the Salvation Army at 368-9953.
Article Provide by: http://www.wmicentral.com ©WMICentral 2006
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