In Case of an Emergency, City Officials Prepare

The images of the devastation from Superstorm Sandy are horrible.

Coastal cities like Long Beach, NY and the lives of its residents completely changed forever. Some people stayed despite the mandatory evacuations and then sat in the dark until help eventually arrived.

But while a natural disaster may destroy homes or infrastructure in Mountain View, lives can be saved if everyone prepares.

On Tuesday, the city held a simulation disaster drill at its Emergency Operation Center (EOC) at 1000 Villa Street. The drill, previously scheduled, got the directors and staff of various essential city departments like fire, police and public works together for an exercise aimed to "resolve issues after a simulated earthquake rocked the region," according to the police department's Facebook page.

The EOC would coordinate the response to a disaster, prioritizing fire suppression, law enforcement, infrastructure, and of course search, rescue and relief efforts.

Office of Emergency Services coordinator Lynn Brown explained that in a real citywide emergency, staff would be expected to work. If they were home when the disaster struck, they would be expected to return to Mountain View. If they couldn't, however, they would be expected to assist with their local government however they could.

But of course, some disaster could be seen coming—like a hurricane—while others remain unpredictable. And during the city's simulation Tuesday that took place the morning after the brunt of Superstorm Sandy ravaged the East Coast, the takeaways were clear.

"I think that a lot of what we will learn from Sandy will come in the days and weeks ahead as stories start to come out," said Jaime Garrett, public information officer for the Mountain View Fire Department.

"From what I was able to see on TV, the internet, and in the newspapers it appeared that the local governments gave as much warning as they could, tried to get the messages to residents out in a variety of different ways (TV, internet, reverse 911 calls, social media, etc.), and started to prepare for recovery before the event had even occurred by anticipating and requesting resources to begin to mobilize," she said. "I know we have been watching/reading the news reports trying to find lessons learned, what worked well, etc."

Garrett noted that one of the stories she found interesting was that of the Fire Department of New York social media manager who tweeted to distressed residents and sent information to dispatch of emergencies.

Garrett stressed the importance of being prepared.

The MVFD has a checklist online. She recommends that individuals and families customize their kit to their needs and lifestyles "depending on their lifestyle, age, medical conditions, kids, pets, etc."

Her suggestions serve as reminders that the city may not be able to help everyone out immediately.

"We won’t get the advance warning that the residents of the east coast got with Sandy," she said. "Residents and businesses need to make sure that they have their supply kits ready and that they can support their family for a full three days with water, food, and supplies."

What have you done to prepare yourself and your loved ones? How have the images from the devastation in New Jersey and New York changed how you think about emergency preparedness? Leave a comment below!

Don't miss a thing in Mountain View!

Follow on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Get the daily newsletter | Post to our calendar | Share an announcement