Departments | Emergency Management Agency | N.I. emergency management prepares for new disasters
Article written by Bob Link and used with permission from the Globe Gazette, published on Sunday, September 10, 2006.
MASON CITY - Before terrorists crashed airplanes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, emergency managers in North Iowa focused mostly on tornadoes, floods and hazardous waste spills.
"Needless to say, 9/11 prompted a lot of panic and confusion," said Cerro Gordo and Franklin County Emergency Management Coordinator Steve O'Neil. "Since that time, much of what has been done has focused on terrorism and we've spent a lot of time looking at what can be done in the event of a terrorist attack."
"We had a lot of things like chemical protection suits and some of the hazardous materials equipment," O'Neil said. "But the scenarios on what might cause them to be used changed."
One of the things that O'Neil organized early on was a Citizens Emergency Response Team, which focused on preparing for, responding to and assessing disasters.
CERT members are trained to inform and assist government and trained responders.
O'Neil's program went well beyond the borders of Cerro Gordo and Franklin Counties. He trained employees in government and private industry.
To date, the CERT training has prepared 100 people in North Iowa and 200 near the capitol in Des Moines.
"One of the things that 9/11 has done is it has forced governmental agencies to work together," he said. "State, local and federal agencies have come together. We have to respond differently. And I really believe that has been a good thing."
Counties have developed and joined Homeland Security committees.
"Funding has drastically changed," O'Neil said. "They came up with the National Incident Management System."
O'Neil says fire departments, law enforcement, emergency responders, as well as private healthcare providers and mental health have all come together, preparing for the worst of disasters.
According to Congressman Tom Latham, R-Iowa, the state has received $101 million in homeland security money since 2001, not including grants and funding support for firefighting and law enforcement.
O'Neil said command centers are established for his two-county area and regional groups also have response plans in place.
Mason City Fire Chief Bob Platts said North Iowa has been ahead of the curve on developing a regional approach.
"We started a 10-county hazardous material response team in 1995, so we have been at it a while. It has benefitted, not only us in Mason City, but the county and the region."
One of the joint ventures of the 10-county group is a hazardous material semi, which can serve as a command station and deliver supplies for a host of disasters.
Platts said government entities are being forced to work together.
It really has improved our services," he said. "The new process has made more (federal) money available."
Looking at the threats facing society, he said, "Who would have ever thought that we'd have to be prepared for people blowing themselves up, like they are today."
"Not saying it's going to happen here," Platts said. "But it is a classic example of changing society."
