Planning for emergencies not just effort for 9-11 memorial
By SHANNON CRABTREE newsdesk@leader-news.com

A hurricane threatening Wharton County is far more likely than a blizzard.

There's a better chance of a flu outbreak than biological warfare.

But anything can happen.

And it's the mission of emergency management departments to coordinate official responses and keep the public as safe as possible whenever and whatever occurs.

Emergency management and disaster planning is not new. It existed long before the Twin Towers fell six years ago and before Hurricanes Katrina and Rita slammed the Gulf Coast in 2005.

But with the loss of life and public sense of security emerging from the World Trade Center's destruction, public awareness of the issue has grown.

"Emergency management has stepped up obviously," Wharton EM coordinator Andy Kirkland said Tuesday. "The biggest lesson learned on 9- 11 was how tough communication is (between responders)."

Major efforts are being made nationwide to ensure emergency responders can communicate with one another across jurisdictions.

Wharton County, El Campo and all other areas are now complying with the NIMS or National Incident Management System which outlines how responses are structured and tracked.

The goal, Kirkland said, is to be "all on the same page" adding a $500,000 effort in Wharton County will allow the first stage of radio communication with other areas including Houston when needed.

Preparedness is the goal in both small rural areas such as Wharton County and for large metro areas.

"Houston has a lot more strategic targets than Wharton County, that's true. But if something happens in Houston, we could be overrun," Kirkland said.

That's exactly what happened in 2005 when Hurricane Rita threatened - first targeting Matagorda.

Wharton County coordinated with Matagorda County to allow those residents a 12- hour head-start on evacuations, Kirkland said, but the area quickly became bottle-necked with traffic as millions in Houston decided to head north and west.

"The infrastructure hasn't grown nearly as fast as the population (on the coast)," Kirkland said, but added steps like the earlier implementation of contraflow lanes on I-10 and I- 45 are ready for the next evacuation.

Other plans will allow for more flexibility when problems occur during evacuations.

Procedures are also in place to deal with biological issues such as a massive flu outbreak.

"There are centers in Wharton County," Kirkland said, "We know if there is a massive flu outbreak, here's how we are going to deal with it."

And while the emphasis this 9-11 anniversary week is on terrorism, emergency planning is far more than that, El Campo Emergency Management Director Steve Appling said.

"We've been talking about epidemics for years. It doesn't have to be a terrorism attack. For instance the Bird Flu is a big scare right now," he said, adding concerns over small pox have also grown in recent years.

"El Campo is not on the terroristic map, I don't think," Appling said, but added that doesn't mean residents shouldn't be prepared for a host of issues.

Having a home hurricane kit is always a good idea, he said, as is plans for what a family should do if an evacuation is needed or if electricity is lost for an extended time (a possibility in any major weather situation).

It comes down to planning and awareness, Kirkland said, adding efforts are in place to ensure better communication with the public from signage during evacuation periods to education on how to respond to varied issues.

The El Campo EMS Department keeps brochures available at the station providing public tips on how to deal with a host of emergency situations, Appling said.