When disaster strikes, local first responders like to know what resources their fellow entities may have to help contain the problem.
That’s one reason the Jefferson County Office of Emergency Management staged an Integrated Preparedness Planning Workshop on Wednesday at Southeast Arkansas College’s McGeorge Hall. Representatives from a number of entities including Pine Bluff Fire and Emergency Services, Pine Bluff Wastewater Utility and Emergency Ambulance Services Inc. shared with county OEM Director Karen Blevins how they are best resourced and what needs they have in preparation for the next big emergency event.
“We have a great group that really does good on anything,” Blevins said. “All of these agencies, they know what to do. They know what their role is, and they know how to respond.”
No training was conducted during the 3½-hour workshop, but the entity reps talked at length about the challenges they may face during severe weather, wildfires or other life-threatening occurrences.
“What I would like to see — and what the purpose of this is — is more collaboration between everybody and for us to come together and train together and exercise together so that when we do have that big event, we know how to respond together,” Blevins said.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The level of cooperation among entities has been high, Blevins made clear. An example she gave: When Jefferson County experienced a spate of small wildfires two summers ago, most of the fire departments responded to each scene with one or two fielding phone calls about the next fire.
“To actually have it on paper and what we’re doing and the planning, that’s kind of the purpose of this,” Blevins said.
The responses each rep gave regarding their entity’s strengths and weaknesses would be used to develop a preparedness plan to send to the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management. Blevins said state law now requires that for county OEMs to receive grants that fund their offices.
The workshop gave leaders like Pine Bluff Arsenal Emergency Manager Clay Bewley, who stepped into his role three months ago, an opportunity to network.
“Building relationships with other communities surrounding the arsenal, working on those mutual aid agreements and working together during an event,” Bewley said.
Knowing what resources are available among responding agencies is a plus during an emergency, Pine Bluff Fire Chief Shauwn Howell said.
“The beautiful part about it is that we are talking to people we don’t see every day,” he said.
Among challenges his department often faces, Howell named staffing and maintaining or replacing equipment.
“Personnel and equipment are always high on the list, and maintaining our facilities and fire stations,” he explained. “That’s an ongoing issue. It’s a budgetary thing.”