If severe weather were to hit Allen County, emergency responders would know where to look for survivors with help of a registry Pam Beasley is developing.
Beasley, emergency management director, told county commissioners Tuesday a list of private storm shelters would allow victims to be found quickly if they were trapped by storm debris. Finding survivors was a problem after the recent tornadoes in Oklahoma, Beasley said.
A registry of shelters will include contact information, the shelter’s address and the type it is. As Allen Countians respond with information, maps will be created that emergency responders could use in affected areas.
A one-page registration form takes little time to complete and may be obtained from Beasley at her office in the Allen County Critical Response Center, 410 N. State. Her office phone number is 365-1477, email pbeasley@allencosheriff.org. Arrangements also may be made through the sheriff’s office, 365-1400.
She stressed shelters to register include basements, safe rooms and cellars, as well as commercial shelters.
For those without a place of refuge at home, a list of public shelters is available from Beasley. As for private shelters, she noted only emergency responders activated after a storm would be given information about them.
IN RESPONSE to concerns raised at last week’s commission meeting, Beasley said she had a list of places in the county where bulk commercial fertilizer was stored. The topic was raised in response to the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, last month.
No Allen County facilities are of the scale of the one in Texas, but even a small amount of fertilizer, some of which have the same properties as components of explosives, could cause a problem.
“Iola firefighters are well-versed in responding to hazardous materials problemsm” Beasley said, noting that so far this year six oil spills had been dealt with through her office.
Whenever a spill occurs, Beasley pointed out remediation is coordinated with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
