The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
weather channel picture changes. Weather radio beeps. Telephones
ring. The Owenton Emergency Management inner office is a study
in organized banks of information: computers, files, equipment
and two men.
One of the county’s two ambulances is taking a patient outside
the county. Emergency Management must provide another person for
the other ambulance to run.
For Rick Morgan, head of Emergency Management, and David Lilly,
his assistant, this is a normal day.
Both men wear Emergency Management polo shirts and an array of
gear that begins with cell phones in wrist pouches. They take
turns going out on what they call “runs.” Their smiles
indicate that they enjoy their work.
The task of Emergency Management is coordination. Whether minor
emergency — such as the ambulance needs backup — or
major disaster, someone is in charge of their two-room office.
The computers, television, files, books, tools are in a smaller
room; the larger is kept clear for meetings. There the Emergency
Medical Service (EMS), fire, police, Red Cross, coroner, ambulance
service and other workers gather in emergencies.
During a disaster, Emergency Management works not only with the
local police, fire, search and rescue and ambulance squads, but
also with state and national organizations. A county judge upgrades
a disaster to state level; the governor declares a statewide emergency;
the national Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) responds
to a call from the president.
How is Emergency Management different from when it was founded
in 1942? “More paper work,” the men agree. Also more
training, more sophisticated equipment, more man-made crises.
Natural disasters include tornadoes, flooding, earthquakes, winter
storms and severe thunderstorms. Man-made disasters range from
automobile accidents and oil spills to weapons of mass destruction:
biological, chemical, nuclear, explosives.
Response training for terrorist attacks began shortly before 9/11.
Morgan and Lilly must spend a minimum of 32 hours a year in study
sessions. This year, they attended one on “Incident/Unified
Command for Weapons of Mass Destruction” and, early in August,
a regional “Biological Disaster” exercise.
Morgan is also active in fire, ambulance and rescue work. Lilly
juggles Chief of Owenton Fire Department, Ambulance, Life Squad
and, with his wife Paula and their German shepherd and lab, Grand
Paws Search and Rescue.
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