Jackson County and the state of Missouri got a pat on the back Friday for using faith-based organizations in emergency preparedness efforts.
Craig Fugate, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, joined Gov. Jay Nixon in a roundtable talk at Crown Point Church south of Independence.
That congregation is one of many working with Jackson County to get ready to help the community during natural disasters.
That program is among those highlighted by the Governor’s Faith-Based Organization Disaster Initiative.
Fugate called the public “our best resource in a disaster” and said what Missouri is doing well needs to be done elsewhere. He said it’s significant that the governor’s office has become involved in coordinating state, local and private-group planning.
“We’re opening doors that have not been opened before,” said Mike Curry, Jackson County’s emergency preparedness director. He said building relationships in advance makes a critical difference when an emergency arises at 2 a.m. and officials have to communicate, decide and act quickly.
Officials talked about Missouri’s tornadoes, floods and ice storms – “We get hit by more natural disasters than anybody,” the governor said – but point out that many of those disasters are localized. That often means a tornado or flood isn’t enough for a presidential declaration of a disaster area, a move that swings agencies such as FEMA into action and frees up some resources.
But there are still needs.
“If my home got destroyed, trust me, that’s a disaster,” Fugate said.
So it’s often state and local agencies, plus churches and individuals, who respond to an ice storm or tornado.
“FEMA’s not the team. We’re part of the team,” Fugate said.
Fugate also pointed to the example of the New Madrid Fault, which – someday – is expected to cause a massive earthquake or even a string of quakes that will devastate Missouri and other states. Of course FEMA would respond, but widespread destruction would likely slow teams and supplies.
“It’s going to be neighbor helping neighbor,” Fugate said.
Nixon said it was significant that Fugate came to Missouri to see what’s going on.
“It shows that what we’ve done is paying off,” Nixon said.
Nixon also stressed that Missouri’s emergency planning even contributes to the fact that looting is seldom an issue here when disaster comes – a key point when police have other problems to handle.
Fugate and Nixon asked planners to share their concerns.
One came from Karen Benson, disaster response coordinator for the United Methodist Church in Missouri and co-chair of the state’s Government, Faith-Based & Community Partnership.
She talked about a couple in McDonald County, in the southwest corner of the state, who moved out of public housing but lost their home to a storm. Various agencies worked with the couple, trying to keep them on their property, but had great difficulty working with the government, failing even to get a surplus FEMA trailer.
“We’re marginalizing more and more Missourians with every single disaster,” Benson said.
Fugate acknowledged that sort of problem. One solution, he said, is that sometimes a FEMA trailer can be sold to a faith-based group for $1.
Nixon and Fugate also looked over some of the equipment various teams use, such as a truck used by a volunteer chainsaw crew from a church in Liberty. It’s loaded with gear and even has a porta-potty. Another vehicle has showers.
The side of a rolling kitchen was inscribed with the words, “Refuel, recover, reflect, rebuild, rejoice.”
Independence, MO —
