By Sherri Blevins
As a result of the combined efforts of DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director, Anthony Clifton and DeKalb County Commission President, Ricky Harcrow, the first Community Engagement Workshop was held on July 30 and 31 at the DeKalb County Activities Building. This meeting was held to facilitate the process of making the community more resilient in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Director Clifton explained the need for this program in his opening remarks. Representatives from many different areas of the community including school board members, medical personnel, emergency response personnel, mental health specialist, along with representatives from Compass Bank, BBVA, the National Weather Service, and the Field Innovation Team (FIT) met to discuss ways to improve disaster response preparedness. President Harcrow addressed the gathering and related his desire to see this community become better equipped to handle different potential disasters. Harcrow shared his personal story about how he was impacted by the 2011 tornado. He was serving on the commission at the time and was called home from a commission related meeting in Montgomery when the April 27, 2011 tornado hit. Harcrow described the horrors he saw on arriving home. As part of his responsibilities as commissioner, Harcrow visited the makeshift morgue that was made to handle all the casualties. He stated, “As I walked through the area, I stepped over thirty-five body bags with each one containing someone I knew. It is a sight I will never forget. Experience is not the best teacher, but it is the most effective.” Harcrow and Clifton both emphasized the need to develop a strategy to prepare all of DeKalb County’s citizens on how to help themselves survive the aftermath should another natural disaster occur.
Chris Darden from the National Weather Service described the vulnerability of DeKalb County for tornadoes due to our general location and nearness to the Gulf Stream Jet Stream. He stated that DeKalb County is fifth in the state for “Killer Tornadoes” and sixth in the state for all tornadoes. These facts also highlight the need for the community to be ready in case of a natural disaster.
Desiree Mattel-Anderson of the Field Innovation Team lead the workshop and introduced all the members of the team. A design expert from BBVA then presented a draft for the project, which is a book the group is creating with the help of community members. ShelterSMART is a booklet that is designed to instruct individuals on how to set up and run a do-it-yourself shelter when disaster strikes your community. The representative stated, “ShelterSMART is a work in progress that we constantly revise after input from the community.”
Clifton wanted citizens to know this step is just the beginning of a long-range program to better equip individuals to survive after a disaster.