Spearheaded by local agencies, a county Community Organizations Active in Disaster plan is being created to maximize resources in cases of disaster and emergencies and to unite the community in being prepared for, responding to and recovering from disasters.
The group is made up of public, private, volunteer and not-for-profit agencies and organizations that may be active in all phases of a “disaster cycle,” said Timothy J. Schwob, Potsdam, a Red Cross of Northern New York representative.
“A lot of this spills over to recovery and preparedness,” Mr. Schwob said. “Some agencies are particularly good at recovery, long-term recovery. COAD is going to be involved in all three phases in what we are calling the disaster cycle: preparedness, response and recovery.”
Mr. Schwob, who has been acting as a Red Cross regional lead in community partnerships since 2008, said getting the organization off the ground was an entirely community-oriented effort that included not just St. Lawrence County Emergency Services and the Red Cross, but St. Lawrence County Public Health, Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army.
The group is not fully active until its committee develops a plan to determine its primary contact during a disaster, how and when the plan will be activated, and how its members will communicate when the plan is activated. Jan. 31 is the target date for a draft of that plan.
Communication in times of strife and disaster is imperative, said Shelly L. Pike, North Country Public Radio operations manager and announcer, who volunteered to participate in the creation of the activation plan.
“Communication is critical — especially in a disaster situation,” Ms. Pike said. “The Ice Storm of ’98 reminded us that when there’s an emergency, people crave information and connection.”
Ms. Pike said the use of local radio for community outreach would help in connecting agencies, resources and the community.
“It makes perfect sense for NCPR to be involved with the COAD, as the station can link agencies involved in mitigating disasters with the general public, both via its broadcast radio signal and through various popular online platforms,” Ms. Pike said.
The concept behind creating the organization is that there would essentially be a one-stop shop, Mr. Schwob said.
“When it hits the fan, everyone will be at the Emergency Operations Center and there may be one or two nongovernment representatives from the COAD there that will be a point of reference,” Mr. Schwob said. “They will be focused on St. Lawrence County and their role will be to know what every volunteer organization’s responders will be doing.”
Agencies in the organization will be involved in disaster assessment; mass care, including feeding and sheltering; health, mental health and spiritual support; communications; and logistics. Possible additional activities could include disaster education and planning, counseling, community outreach, donations management, volunteer management and emergency assistance.
Many of the organizations in St. Lawrence County do good work and step up in times of disaster, Mr. Schwob said. However, duplication in efforts occurs and gaps can be found in resources.
“So this will help in finding what capacities these agencies can contribute,” Mr. Schwob said. “Once we figure out what we can and can’t do, that is when we begin to focus on how to meet those needs that are not being met and we can really coordinate those efforts.”
Members participating in the Community Organizations Active in Disaster have met twice already, most recently on Dec. 4 at the Ogdensburg Salvation Army. Agencies that would have a role in providing services during a disaster have been invited to both meetings, Mr. Schwob said. State and local agencies in attendance included members of the St. Lawrence Child Care Council, the county’s Community Development Program, North County Public Radio, the Louisville Town Council, the state Office of Emergency Management, the Star Lake Food Pantry, the Potsdam Humane Society and the county Public Health Department.
St. Lawrence County Emergency Services Director Michael J. LeCuyer said while there already is a relationship between his office and many of the local and state agencies, this plan brings them all under one umbrella.
©2014 Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, N.Y.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
