By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times
Disasters strike, leaving devastation in their wake. First responders are dedicated to providing assistance to those reeling from all too unpredictable circumstances, placing themselves in harm’s way to help those in need. Fire, police, ambulance, and other local departments train constantly to provide the relief only they can, and part of that training is to project and plan for worst case scenarios and how best to respond and save lives.
Grayson Emergency Management Director Roger Dunfee addressed a gathering of first responders last month (September 18) and discussed the need for advance planning in every community.
“In the case of a real, catastrophic incident in Carter County or the City of Grayson, we need to manage our resources,” Dunfee said.
Dunfee said that several years ago, when local first responders turned up in the wake of the West Liberty tornado, the area resembled nothing less than a war zone.
“That city was devastated,” Dunfee said.
That level of destruction, he explained, left the residents in need of everything; basics such as food, clothing and, in many cases, shelter as well.
“We took some supplies and helped do damage assessment,” Dunfee told the assembled first responders. “And we saw firsthand how West Liberty and Morgan County were not prepared for that.”
The devastation, he said, left residents there dependent upon agencies and individuals from all over the state for help. There had been no real plan, he said, established for that type of catastrophic event.
Dunfee said that when he and wife Joanne took over emergency management for the city, one of the things many people told them was that at least they did not need to plan for a tornado response. They were told, he said, ‘that the hills and the mountains will protect us.’ But, sadly, the events in West Liberty proved that to be a short-sighted philosophy.
“The State of Kentucky, through Kentucky Emergency Management, said that the local emergency management (agencies) needed to start making plans ahead of time,” Dunfee said. “So, one of the things that we have done that has been recommended by the state is to have a plan set up ahead of time, and to have mutual aid agreements with different organizations, so that we will be ready to help each other in an emergency.”
To this end, Grayson Emergency Management has established procedures, protocols and a distribution management plan. The plan establishes C-PODs, or Commodity Points of Distribution where emergency commodities can be dropped off and stored. The plan also establishes staging areas where the equipment necessary to load, unload, and maneuver commodities will be secured and guaranteed to be available. The plan also allows for individuals to be recruited and trained to provide the necessary staffing for the management of the distribution plans.
“Unforeseen disasters may not be preventable,” Dunfee said. “But the ability to respond and recover is aided by thoughtful preparation.”
Commodity Points of Distribution outlined in the plan include the old Ralph’s Building in Grayson, the Carter County Road Department, and Wilson’s Martial Arts in Olive Hill. Staging areas include Wood’s Brothers Shopping Center, the semi parking lot behind Love’s, and the parking lot at Wilson’s. Alternate Emergency Operations Center include MOU, KCU, and the Carter County Courthouse.
For more information about the City of Grayson’s disaster preparedness, residents can email Dunfee at rdunfeegem@gmail.com.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
