Emergency planning is emphasized as hurricane season approaches.

01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, April 27, 2006

BY AMANDA MILKOVITS
Journal Staff Writer

WARWICK -- Hurricane season is a month away. The arrival of a pandemic flu that may kill hundreds of thousands across the nation is talked about in terms of "not if, but when." The threat of terrorism, including radiological bombs, isn't only the stuff of nightmares.

Local authorities, the responsibility for your community's safety lies in your hands.

That was the message to local emergency managers at yesterday morning's conference on hurricane and homeland security issues, held by the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency.

Officials from the state and federal emergency management agencies assured the dozens of emergency managers at the conference that they will have help. But, depending on the disaster, help could take a while.

If a hurricane smacks into New England, Rhode Island won't be the only state seeking help, said R. Scott Erickson, of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. If a pandemic flu sweeps through the nation, "there'll be no mutual aid," said John Aucott, state homeland security director. "We are going to be truly on our own."

That places a massive burden on the local communities, some of which have part-time or volunteer emergency managers, small budgets, and indifferent town officials.

"This is so essential, and there's just a huge amount of work to be done," said Thomas S. McMillan, of the Exeter Emergency Management Agency, which has a budget of $1,000. "The local communities think things never happen here, but I think it's a matter of 'when.' I think it's critical we all address this."

It's up to the locals to figure out how municipal services will continue if most of the population is sick with the flu. They must decide what they'll do with the downed trees, ruined buildings, and storm-tossed boats left piled in ruins and blocking roads after a hurricane.

They should know where the elderly, the sick, and the handicapped residents are living, and whether these residents need help evacuating. They have to know ahead of time how much supplies, food and water, they'll need, and where the supplies will be distributed.

And, they must convince residents to make their own emergency plans, such as stockpiling food, water and basic necessities.

The governor, state and federal agencies have given them short deadlines to get the work done.

The state itself is still preparing. The state EMA is rewriting drafts of a detailed hurricane plan. Governor Carcieri said that he wants the plan completed and drilled before hurricane season begins June 1. The biggest issue, he said, is "getting the message out to our citizens, especially in floodplain areas, that this is something they need to take seriously."

State agencies are working on plans to handle debris from the aftermath of a hurricane, reviving a volunteer organization to aid in disasters, and developing methods to manage donations, said Robert J. Warren, executive director of the state EMA. A statewide communications system is half-finished; its costly completion relies on federal homeland security funding -- a financial pool that's expected to be shallow for Rhode Island. The state EMA is endorsing using ham radio operators, organized as Amateur Radio Emergency Services, for backup communications throughout the state. Several communities, including Providence, Warwick, and Portsmouth, have already signed on.

At the end of next month, the state EMA will distribute laptop computers and train local emergency directors on using a Web-based emergency operations center. It's another way for the locals to know what's happening at the state level during an emergency -- and let them update what's happening in the field, said Paul Crawford, an EMA planner. He was honored yesterday for achieving a certified emergency manager certification, a national distinction.

The importance of preparing for emergencies can be seen in past disasters -- from the heroic rescues of the 1995 bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building, to the catastrophic failures of responding to Hurricane Katrina.

Last week's anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing was on Adjutant General Robert T. Bray's mind. "Since then, we haven't been at a loss of things to do and prepare for, and the good news is we have everyone's attention," Bray said. "And that puts the onus on us to get it done."

amilkovi@projo.com / (401) 277-7213