HANCOCK COUNTY — It’s not a matter of “if” something catastrophic will happen in the area, but “when,” officials from a disaster preparedness group say.
From responding to devastating tornadoes, like the ones recently in Nashville, Tennessee; or the outbreak of the coronavirus, local volunteers and safety organizations want to make sure they’re ready to help no matter how dire the need.
Community Organizations Active in Disaster, or COAD, is a collaborative network of organizations, churches, agencies, individuals, businesses and other groups who represent public, private and not-for-profit agencies. They all work toward the mission of helping minimize the effects of a disaster.
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Dozens of community volunteers and representatives from relief organizations gathered last week at the county’s Emergency Operations Center to hold the first of four organizational meetings this spring. The group represents the folks who will leap into action with first-responders should a disaster, such as a pandemic, tornado, flood or earthquake hit.
The timing of the meeting, held in the command center at the EOC that will be the epicenter of emergency response in the event of a disaster, could not have come at a more poignant time. Tuesday, March 3, a pair of strong tornadoes ripped through middle Tennessee, killing 25 people and leaving a 50-mile swath of destruction.
And the coronavirus crisis, which has recorded its first cases in Indiana, continues to build around the world with no containment in sight.
Jim Peters, who works with the Salvation Army, is one of COAD’s organizers and admitted their organizational documentation isn’t as coordinated as they’d like it to be. He hoped the gathering will go a long way in helping everyone get on the same page.
“We need better written records of who is going to do what when an event happens,” Peters said.
With involvement by 911 dispatch personnel; Hancock County Emergency Management; Hancock County Community Emergency Response Team; local ham radio groups; the American Red Cross; the Salvation Army; United Way; Hancock Area Rural Transit; and various shelter providers, it’s critical for COAD to make sure everyone understands their role if disaster strikes, Peters noted.
“We’ve kind of got what we’re going to do stored in several different people’s brains, but we need to get it all documented, written down in detail so everyone is doing what they’re supposed to do,” he said.
The plan is to get as much input from the groups involved and the community before an actual catastrophic event takes place.
Judy Brown, a shelter manager and coordinator for the Red Cross in central Indiana, thinks larger cities such as Indianapolis are ready to handle any type of disaster. However, she worries about smaller communities, such as those in Hancock County, who have little experience in disaster management.
“We know what we do, but with some of the other groups involved in planning relief, we don’t know what they do,” Brown said. “We have to have good coordination.”
Peters thinks the county will respond in huge numbers when needed, but he knows it will have to be a coordinated effort to be successful.
“We’ve got to understand that disasters can be managed,” Peters said.
The goal of COAD is to work toward helping minimize the effects of a disaster; enhance the community’s ability to respond; and ensure human needs are met in a safe, sanitary and secure way.
During the meeting, representatives of the various entities looked at four scenarios and explored the prescribed roles and responsibilities of the various team members.
The summation of the meeting? Preparation is paramount to an effective response, and that means alleviating as much confusion as possible before a disaster hits. Preparation, it was noted, should be 85% of the response. Execution should be 15%.
While any disaster scenario is going to create some chaos regardless of the best-laid plans, officials noted being prepared, thinking through various situations, planning how to respond and then testing the plans will significantly improve the speed with which response can be brought to bear.
“Having the right people on the bus is only part of the solution,” Peters said. “Having those people in the correct seats is the secret to success.”
As an example, officials have learned from actual call-outs that some people will not leave their homes in the event of a disaster because they won’t abandon their pets. It’s why the COAD added Frenzy Animal Rescue to its ranks a couple of years ago to help make sure animals have a safe place to go.
“In any catastrophic situation, we’ll be out there looking for dogs, cats and birds,” rescue owner Betty Wilkins said.
Dave Sevier, who represents the local Red Cross, said it’s important for the COAD group to meet regularly because they always learn something.
“The more coordinated you’re going to be, the more efficient you’re going to be,” Sevier said. “Learning how to put an emergency plan together and make it work with all the different entities is going to be key.”
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Community Organizations Active in Disaster upcoming training events:
Tuesday, March 24: Command and Control with Communications: Setting up a command center and staffing.
Thursday, April 16: Food and Hydration with Warehousing.
Tuesday, May 5: Volunteer Reception Center with Long Term Recovery Group.
All training will be at the Emergency Operations Center at 640 South Franklin St., Greenfield
Sessions will start at 3:30 p.m. Meetings will last no more than an hour.
The purpose of the workshops is to clarify and prioritize COAD’s workareas.
Call 317-372-2304 with questions or to RSVP.
For more information visit: hancockcoad.org
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Community Organizations Active in Disaster is seeking help in improving disaster preparedness throughout Hancock County. Here’s how to become a volunteer:
–Attend one of the upcoming workshops.
–Get training through classes March 21, March 28 or April 18 at Calvary Baptist Church. Classes will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. More information is available by callling Bret Williams at 317-614-2794.
–Make a donation to support COAD’s expenses.
–Offer resources during a crisis (four-wheel drive vehicles, generators, expertise).
–Offer tech support
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COAD stands for Community Organizations Active in Disaster.
The group is a collaborative network of organizations, churches, agencies, individuals, businesses and others representing public, private and not-for-profit agencies. They work toward the mission of helping minimize the effects of a disaster.
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