Ramsey Resident - 2009 - March/April

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Public Safety ~ Community Emergencies and Disasters: Ramsey Officials Prepare for a Rapid Response Training for emergency plan- ning tal(es time and commitment. In early 2007, the Ramsey City Council and management staff attended a training session to help prepare the community in case of a disaster. The Mayor and City Council remain in control of overall city functions dur- ing an emergency or disaster, while the emergency management staff (Po- lice, Fire and Public Works) through the City Administrator take the lead role in planning, putting together operations, and administration of the incident. In January 2008, the City Council and key support staff again participated in an emergency plan- ning session. This "table-top" exer- cise was the next step in emergency planning by acting in their respective roles while dealing with a scenario of a late winter storm with extensive power outages in Minnesota. The next training session will involve a more detailed scenario with more em- phasis on specific details at all levels of the Incident Command System. This should happen in late 2008 or early 2009. Response to emergencies is one of the critical services that cities, counties and states take considerable time and effort to plan. Although many of us have witnessed or at least heard about emergencies dealing with severe storms, flooding, structure fires and large scale police activities, many are not aware of how commu- nities worl( together to have plans in place to provide services during these events. Watching local and national news, we remember disasters in 2007 such as the ice storms in Oklahoma and wild land fires in California, also we can't forget the devastating effects that hurricane Katrina had over many different cities and states. In these large scale disasters, local, state, and federal agencies all worl( together to provide needed services. What some may not realize is that the primary responsibility in coordinating any emergency or disaster is the local community. Due to this responsibility, Ramsey city officials continue to ag- gressively plan for responding to all levels of emergencies and disasters. The city has an adopted Emergency Operations Plan that specifies which groups within city staff have primary responsibility for key operations. Your Police, Fire and Public Worl(s departments have worked long and hard to ensure that responding to incidents is a coordinated effort. This is extremely important. Remember, even in large scale events, the re- sponsibility starts at the local level. In severe cases when FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) gets involved, managing the event still rests on the local level, FEMA responds in a support role. To manage both small and large scale incidents, an effective management structure must be used to coordinate efforts of the few, or in some cases many, different agencies responding. Nationwide, the structure used in emergency response is called the Incident Command System or ICS. With this recognized system, all levels of resources are structured within the same system to effectively coordinate response, deliver services, and plan for needs as they arise. If re- sources beyond the city's are brought in, they are fit within the ICS. Homeowners can also do their part to prepare for a local emer- gency or a disaster. Here are a few helpful suggestions: In your home: Put together a home emergency kit that includes es- sential non-perishable food and water for 3 days. Water quantity should include 1 gallon per person per day. For Minnesotan's the kit should also contain supplies in case your homes heating system is not operational. A complete change of clothing includ- ing cold weather wear is an excellent idea. A battery operated radio with additional batteries is vital to hear critical communications during power outages. In your vehicle: Put together a kit that remains in the vehicle including non-perishable food, water, first aid supplies, flares, jumper cables and seasonal clothing. If you have specific questions regarding Ramsey's emergency re- sponse plan, or want additional infor- mation on emergency preparedness, feel free to contact Dean Kapler, Fire Chief/Emergency Management Di- rector at 763-433-9859 or dkapler@ Cl.ramsey.mn.us. Recycling stickers for calendars are available for picl< up at the Municipal Center or they can be mailed to you by contacting JoAnn Shaw at 763-433-9824 or j shaw@ci.ramsey.mn.us. www.ci.ramsey.mn.us 7