Keith Shadden, emergency management director for Beaver County is always ready to respond during emergency situations. Photo by James Pratt
“Supper could be ready, they’re about to take that fi rst bite, then the pager goes off and they’re out the door. Could be a car wreck, house fi re, land fi re—they don’t know what’s
waiting for them, but they’re ready to put their lives on the line.” - David Ball, Logan County emergency management director
“One maxim I often tell people is that we don’t eliminate chaos, but we do our best to organize it,” Keith Shadden, Beaver County emergency manager and Tri-County Electric Cooperative member, said. Local emergency managers work with the state and Federal Emergency Management Association if a disaster declaration is made in their jurisdic- tions. Appointed by the county commissioner, these managers are usually the point of contact from the beginning to the end of the declaration. Emergency managers will initially try to work in a logistical, liaison type of manner. They will help provide necessary resources and set up com- mand and communication centers during the event, and they also fi ll in gaps where needed.
“I don’t know of a single emergency manager in the rural areas who, if a position isn’t fi lled and it’s needed, wouldn’t offer to step up and fi ll that role,” Shadden said.
Unfazed
Consider the three-day blizzard in March 2009 that rendered northwest- ern Oklahoma buried in feet of snow. The frigid spring snowfall recorded between 20 and 28 inches of depth offi cially; signifi cant drifting on Highway 412 registered up to 24 feet tall.
Not only did this storm cause road closings in Beaver County, but the treacherous conditions extended into bordering states as well. “There were many vehicles and people stranded—in the hundreds—and their welfare and well being became our responsibility,” Shadden said. In preparation, emergency managers ensured all parties were ready and waiting. They preset shelters, contacted motels, utilities, businesses and other specialists, like heat and air. They alerted Red Cross and the ministe- rial alliance early for their support. During the event and the recovery that followed, county emergency managers worked with every agency and department throughout the county and state. According to Shadden, they helped coordinate or make rescues and medical calls as ambulances were tied up. They also did wel- fare checks, delivered food and water and even ensured stranded truckers had enough fuel to weather out the next few days.
Shadden said the storm was one example when coordination through all phases of the disaster went right, even though they had great potential to go wrong. “I’ve spent many nights and early morning hours going over events in my mind thinking about what went right and what could have been better or prevented,” Shadden said. “It’s a profession that you must be able to see the whole picture and timeline and think outside the box.”
JUNE 2013 15
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