The Emergency Management Summit, anticipated every year around September, is a one-day workshop that provides a forum for local and regional executives to share strategies and to coordinate plans for emergency preparedness and response. This year, the Summit highlighted the (MGT-312) Senior Officials Workshop for All-Hazards Emergency Preparedness and provided an opportunity to discuss strategic and executive-level issues related to all-hazard disaster preparedness, to share proven strategies and best practices, and to enhance coordination among officials responsible for emergency response and recovery from such situations.
Among those attending the Summit were Mayor David Allen of the City of Prairie View, Mayor Michael Wolfe of the City of Hempstead, and representatives from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Also participating was the Waller County Independent School District (ISD), the Waller County Fire Department, the Hempstead ISD, the City of Prairie View Fire Department, as well as the Texas Air National Guard, the Transportation Security Administration, and the nonprofit Hello Hempstead.
The overarching focus of the summit was getting critical entities involved in emergency preparedness before a disaster occurs, with the mission being prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery. Communication is vital in a crisis and was one of the segments featured during the Summit. In the wake of the infrastructure devastation caused in Puerto Rico by Hurricane Maria, the world witnessed the difficulty experienced with handling a catastrophic situation in the absence of adequate communication. Our goal is to have a communication system in place that would mitigate the occurrence of a failed system.
Though eighty-one persons registered for the workshop, 38 had to cancel due to a staffing shortage in the county. Of those in attendance, more than 40 participants received the continuing education credits from IACET – 0.6 CEUs. The Summit was beneficial for increasing awareness about disaster preparedness in general, and about CEP-Community Economic Development’s role in Prairie View A&M University’s emergency management plan. Based upon a workshop evaluation, sixteen people, Prairie View A&M University’s (PVAMU) Police Chief Anthony D. Solomon, indicated that before the Summit, they were unaware that CEP provided education on emergency preparedness and response. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with Texas Air Guard stating they were pleased with the training and would come back for future training sessions. The Waller Fire Department and Mayor Allen expressed appreciation to Prairie View for hosting the summit.
Participants split into five small groups examined different disasters that are imminent threats across the region. Relationships were established with other University officials and external agencies and nonprofits that will enable us all to work together in a crisis. The workshop integrated a multimedia scenario, vignettes that highlighted critical issues, and facilitated executive-level discussion of the United States’ National Strategy for Homeland Security. Additionally, the forum provided an opportunity to apply lessons learned from past local and national all-hazards disasters. While disasters are not always predictable, efforts can be taken to lower the risk to different factors. Preparation, as undertaken in this Summit, is vital because it is not a matter of if an emergency is coming, but when.
Angela Moore
Extension Associate, Agriculture and Natural Resources
(936) 261-5002
almoore@pvamu.edu
Chris Cotton
Program Specialist, Community and Economic Development
(936) 261-5107
crcotton@pvamu.edu