Townspeople don’t often know what to do after a community-wide disaster, and local emergency responders said that lack of awareness can devastate a town by causing even more turmoil for residents who’ve potentially lost everything they owned. Winneshiek County Emergency Management Coordinator Sean Snyder hopes to avoid that “disaster within the disaster” by establishing the Winneshiek Emergency Preparedness Coalition — a countywide network of volunteers who will collaborate to provide resources and relief if any of the county’s towns experience a disaster.
Snyder described a hypothetical scenario in which a tanker truck carrying a hazardous chemical is involved in a collision in downtown Decorah, causing the tank to leak. In that case, Snyder said, those within up to half-a-mile would need to be evacuated — essentially the distance from the corner of Water and Winnebago streets to the intersection of Water and Montgomery streets.
Snyder explained there may be other factors aside to consider during such a response. Aside from organizing an evacuation and arranging temporary shelter, he said some residents’ health might depend on an oxygen supply or electricity.
“These questions need to be answered before that happens so everyone has a better understanding of what that looks like and what needs to be done when it happens,” Snyder said.
The WEPC was originally called the Winneshiek County Healthcare Coalition and was hosted by Winneshiek County Public Health. Public Health Administrator Krista Vanden Brink said, thanks to the relationships established prior to the 2009 swine flu pandemic, the county was not only prepared for the disease, but it also became an example of preparedness for surrounding counties. Public Health was able to vaccinate 1,200 school children in one day and 1,200 county residents one week later to help slow the spread of the disease, she said.
“By having those meetings prior to the vaccine becoming available, we already had those relationships between clinics and nurses, so the response was great because of that,” Vanden Brink said, adding that Public Health will also be involved in the new WEPC. “And, other counties were shocked, because they hadn’t even considered having those conversations yet. So, we were ahead of the game.”
Snyder said his primary objective for establishing the WEPC is collaboration.
“A major part of emergency management is the public/private partnerships, and this is the perfect way to ignite those partnerships in our communities,” he said. “In the case of a tornado, the government doesn’t come in and save the community. It’s the private entities within that community that are the true post-disaster heroes. It takes the local hardware stores and lumber yards and other businesses that truly help the community rise up from the ashes and get it moving again. I’m trying to bring those organizations and entities to the table, so we’re not meeting for the first time right after a disaster hits. I want all sides to understand their roles. I have a role, but as a private business and a private resident, you have roles as well, and that’s what I’m hoping to find through this process.”
The first Zoom meeting of the new WEPC will take place at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 26, and Snyder believes the group will meet quarterly at first.
“I want to start small and get the group’s foundation built first and then grow it through word of mouth,” he said. “In my role with the county, I’m required by the state to do various community exercises, and I’d love to have those private partnerships included in those exercises. We can talk about general preparedness, the various resource applications I have — just bring awareness to Winneshiek County through collaboration.”
Snyder hopes other locally established emergency preparedness groups will want to be involved in WEPC’s efforts, and he said he also wants to know how WEPC can help local businesses.
“Maybe there’s a way we can talk with you, as a business owner, and say, ‘Your business handles hazardous materials in the county,’” he said. “How can we help you be better prepared, and what would you need from us in the event of a disaster?”
Snyder said one challenge is that Winneshiek County doesn’t currently have a long-term recovery coalition — a group which brings together government agencies, non-profit organizations, faith-based communities, businesses and community members to collaboratively address the needs of individuals and families after a disaster.
“Let’s say we have a Greenfield tornado,” Snyder said. “The emergency response side of things is going to be over fairly quickly. After a day or two or a week — depending on the type and level of disaster — the emergency responder portion goes away. You, the business owner or private individual, are left with what’s next. I’ll still be coordinating the governmental side of things, but we don’t have anyone local who is designated to connect community members to needed tasks.”
Examples of those needed tasks include connecting residents to resources and coordinating donations. Snyder said there are a variety of helpful actions the public often takes following a disaster, but he also said it’s necessary to establish organizers to ensure such efforts are effective.
“ There are a lot of logistics involved in a long-term recovery coalition, and I’d love to have those building-block pieces in place, so we can transition quickly should we have such an event,” he said.
Snyder hopes a core group of leaders will evolve from the WEPC’s meetings, consisting of representatives from Public Health, WinnMed, local media, banks, private businesses and public citizens. He said that core group could then reach out to other members of their communities to be available when needed.
“I would like to establish something central to Winneshiek County, where we could have one voice announcing where to donate, how to donate, where donations are going and how the donations will be used,” he said. “I need the bankers to be part of this group, because they’re the ones that have the expertise in that field. It’s not Sean running it — it’s a long-term recovery coalition that Sean’s a part of. That’s the kind of thing that keeps me up at night.”
Snyder will share his vision for the WEPC during the Feb. 26 meeting — after which he’ll talk with participants about how to expand the group.
“This is something I feel is very important, and I hope other people feel as strongly as I do about it,” Snyder said. “Then, hopefully, we end up with a good cross section of representation to keep driving this forward. I implore anyone who wants to be part of this to contact me. You’re more than welcome.”
For information on the group and how to participate, call Snyder at 563-387-4095 or email ssnyder@co.winneshiek.ia.us.
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