Tecumseh United Methodist Church Community Disaster Committee

Tecumseh Community Disaster Committee
February 24, 2007 Meeting Minutes

Meeting participants included:
Herb Whitlow - Tecumseh Methodist Church & Kiwanis
Keith and Lu Zimmer
Tina Shoemaker - Tecumseh Kiwanis
Neva Martin - Tecumseh Methodist Church
Steve Vogel
Kevin Howbert - Shawnee Heights Fire Department
Kathy Allen - Emergency Management
Steve Hennessey - Tecumseh Township/SHFD Board Member
Ken Scott - Shawnee Heights Fire Department
Ann Mah - Representative, District 53

The discussion included:

1. Types of Disasters
There are 4 types of disaster situations that could occur in the Tecumseh area and which could require activation of a community disaster response. These include: an ice storm, flooding, a tornado, or a hazardous material spill.

The effects of these incidents could require the following actions in the community:

Type of Disaster	Community Response Needed
Ice Storm	Short- or long-term shelter Meals for displaced community members or workers helping with clean-up
Flooding	Short- or long-term shelter Meals for displaced community members or workers helping with clean-up
Tornado	Short- or long-term shelter Meals for displaced community members or workers helping with clean-up Triage support
Hazard Materials Spill of materials transported by rail, or on either highway 40 or the turnpike	Community education on Shelter-in-Place preparation Evacuation planning

It was determined that the first 3 possible disaster situations would require similar resources and should be the initial priority for the community.

2. When and how is a disaster declared?
There are official channels that have processes to declare disasters - particularly those that could require outside resources, significant coordination of local resources, or potential payment of damages. These channels must be followed and can be initiated either by the fire department for the emergency planning organization. The community may want to identify less extensive local disaster situations that could initiate activation of local activity. The example discussed was an ice storm resulting in blocked streets with debris. This could be managed with local volunteers who have equipment as well as the township, which could provide vehicles and support to local operations.

2. Who needs to be involved with the committee?
Several additional agencies were identified who should be involved in our local planning activities. These included American Medical Response (AMR), Water District #8 (and possibly the Tri-District), the Sheriff’s office, and the Salvation Army.

3. Strategies to Consider

The Tecumseh disaster response planning activities should be coordinated with those of other community groups such as those in Berryton and Grantville. The committee is in the process of establishing contact points with these group at this time.
The committee should request a copy of the disaster plan for the school district to determine what issues are considered and where there may be opportunities to coordinate effort and effort.
The Red Cross provides courses where the community can obtain information on:
- 72-Hour kits for shelter in-home preparedness
- How to operate a shelter
CERT training (Community Emergency Response Training) - This 20-hour course is provided by Emergency Management at no charge to the community. It could be provided in Tecumseh in scheduled classes. The fire department would make its Board Room and audio-visual support available if the committee will sponsor the course.
Once the fire department establishes a command post in the community, the department will maintain the post as long as needed. Any additional resources they need for other areas of the community would be brought in from other areas. The Tecumseh community disaster response would complement this activity.
The activities the committee is considering at this time include:
- Establish an inventory of local resources such as portable generators that could be set-up if needed or the location of vehicles with tracks that could be made available.
- Establish a plan for providing a pet shelter, if needed
- Establish a system of block captains (2 for each area) who would have knowledge of residents in their assigned areas who have special needs such as for portable oxygen, transportation, or communications in an emergency. The Red Cross has a form that can be used to complete this inventory of special needs.
Establish a shelter plan for the church basement
Establish meal service out of the church basement
Establish a central contact point where information can be verified and exchanged during an emergency, where those wanting to help can be assigned, and from where other resources can be dispatched. This control point would include a registration area for contractors who want to provide services in the area.
In the future, the committee may want to exercise its plans in order to identify where they can be improved.
It is not necessary for the committee to establish a contact with the ham radio club as the fire department will initiate this resource should it be needed.

4. Area of Coverage
The area of focus for the Tecumseh community disaster planning group was revised and is now:

K-4 Highway to the west
Shawnee County line to the east
Kansas River to the north
Kansas Turnpike to the south