The slide and response and recovery missions were what Pennington calls the “new normal.” That consists of a new way of doing business, considering climate change and trends of more natural disasters that tax communities to the hilt — and catch them off guard, as Pennington said the slide did with him and his colleagues.
Luckily, there was a system in place and leadership at the ready. It had been a slow month when the mudslide hit, and the county was soon besieged with personnel (1,700 “strangers”) from other jurisdictions and agencies. It was a blessing but still county officials knew they had to “own” the disaster or face possible chaos. As it was the system failed. In explaining that, Pennington said the system was designed to fail and thus take on the support of other agencies and jurisdictions.
He said the ability to take ownership of the disaster while still accepting aid was key, as was leadership, relationships already having been built and “dogs, dogs, dogs,” which were invaluable during the search and rescue operations.
Other key points:
- The new normal meant having to incorporate the tactical, which used to be a no-no.
- The incident was a “crystal ball,” into the future. “Climate change is here, whether you want to accept it or not.”
- It’s important to have a framework for disaster response and recovery. “Plans fail, frameworks bend.”
- It’s important to incorporate organizational health into your response and recovery. Everyone is human.
- Emergency management is not fire and law enforcement, and encompasses much more. It must be funded as such.
- Be prepared as an emergency management professional to be thrust into a role in which you are unfamiliar and maybe haven’t even thought of.
