Community emergency management communications planning underway

It’s often said that to everything there is a season.

For La Conner’s emergency management commission, that means development of a comprehensive guide addressing all disaster scenarios.

“We’ve been working on flooding issues hot and heavy for quite a while,” Town Administrator Scott Thomas said at the the commission’s Dec. 12 hybrid meeting. Now we need to develop a process and procedure for our (emergency management) plan.”

Identifying groups within the community that will need extra assistancen is key.

“How do we accommodate persons with disabilities in emergency shelters?” he asked. “How do we communicate with the hearing impaired in an emergency?”

Resources are available. Skagit County, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Shelter Bay and the City of Anacortes have adopted emergency management plans or are now doing so.

The commission is hopeful that representatives will meet with them next year.

Commissioner Jim White will attend a Shelter Bay emergency management meeting. He named Ted Taylor, a Shelter Bay resident as a resource. Taylor is the emergency management coordinator for Skagit County Fire District 13.

The town plan will address disaster situations including fires, earthquakes, tsunamis, extreme hot or cold weather, cyber-attacks and, of course, flooding.

Commissioner Jerry George noted that the Skagit County emergency management plan would be a key tool.

“The Skagit plan is important,” he said, “because most of the resources we would call upon would be from the county.”

Communicating is essential as well, said Commission Chair Bill Stokes.

“Getting information to citizens so that they’re prepared (for an emergency) is very important,” he said.

Maps of the town were shared that can be modified to identify locations of and services available at La Conner’s emergency shelters.

The next meeting is Jan. 2 at 4:30 p.m. at Maple Hall.