Oak Ridge Fire Chief Darryl Kerley, right, is pictured above with Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, center, and former Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan in March 2014. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
A safety forum on Wednesday will include a discussion of possible local disasters and how fire departments in the Oak Ridge area could respond.
The fire departments that will participate are the Oak Ridge Fire Department, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Fire Department, and Y-12 National Security Complex Fire Department. They will present an overview of the State Fire Mutual Aid Plan and discuss how their fire departments participate in that plan, a press release said.
The speakers will be Oak Ridge Fire Chief Darryl Kerley, ORNL Fire Chief Mike Masters, and Y-12 Fire Chief Scott Vowell. They will discuss the resources they provide to the state by participating in the plan and the benefits to the Oak Ridge community, the press release said.
The Community Safety Forum is titled “Secret City Mutual Aid Plan and What it Means to Oak Ridge.” It’s scheduled from 8 to 10 a.m. Wednesday, December 6, at the American Museum of Science and Energy on South Tulane Avenue.
“Effects of natural and manmade disasters have become more frequent, far-reaching, and widespread,” Kerley said in the press release. “We have seen in our neighboring communities that, during a disaster or catastrophe, local government resources and capabilities can be overwhelmed. The State Fire Chief’s Association has been working with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and other organizations to develop and build a method for rapid activation and response of aid to a community in the event of a local disaster.”
J. Scott Vowell
“The Oak Ridge area fire departments are participating in the plan and are part of a coordinated group of emergency responders available to any Tennessee community in need,” Vowell said. “The plan has the ability to provide us with a steady, adequate, and timely stream of appropriate resources to manage and mitigate any disaster our community may be faced with.”
“It is very important for our departments to be involved and engaged in the plan,” Masters said. “The days of thinking you can handle a disaster in your community on your own are long gone. We hope people will be interested in hearing about it.”
Agenda items include local agreements; the participation of fire departments in the Oak Ridge area; and natural and manmade disasters such as the deadly fires in Sevier County in November 2016, weather events, and acts of violence and mass shootings.
For more information, contact Jenny Freeman at [email protected].
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AGENDA
“Secret City Mutual Aid Plan and What it Means to Oak Ridge”
American Museum of Science and Energy
8-10 a.m., December 6, 2017
—
Participants
- Darryl Kerley, Oak Ridge Fire Department chief
- Mike Masters, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Fire Department chief
- Scott Vowell, Y-12 National Security Complex Fire Department chief
Safety Forum Program
- 8-8:30—Networking with coffee and bagels
- 8:30-8:40—Welcome and Safety Moment
- 8:40-10—Program
Program
- Natural and Manmade Disasters: The new norm.
- November 2016 Sevier County fires
- Weather events
- Acts of violence and mass shootings
- No community has the resources sufficient to cope with all emergencies.
- National Response Framework
- Tennessee Fire Chief’s Association Emergency Response Plan
- Regional Medical Control Center (EMS)
- Local agreements
- Participation in the plans: How the Oak Ridge fire departments participate and benefit.
- National framework: Integration, coordination, engaged partnership
- Engagement leads to a smoother plan when we need it
- November 2016 Sevier County fires
- Role of citizen participation.
- Be informed and understand the possible disasters in your area
- Planning is essential
- Prevention
- Minimize effects
- Prepare to act
- Take action
- Get involved in community or workplace disaster response programs
- Until help arrives
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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johnhuotari says
This is along the lines of something I’ve been meaning to follow up on ever since the Sevier County wildfires in November 2016. Among the questions: What would happen if we had a large disaster here, what kind of disaster response plans do we have, and what would be the best source of information for residents and workers during a disaster? I think this forum should be interesting.