With December’s rain and flooding and the increasing severity of summer wildfires, climate-driven emergencies are no longer rare events for Washington state. While the hazards between regions of the state may differ, the lesson is the same: preparedness determines whether a community can coordinate and respond effectively.
Emergency preparedness begins with a solid Emergency Operations Plan, but planning is not enough – the plans must be scalable, flexible, and used regularly. This is even more important for our smaller municipalities have limited staffing with multiple roles.
When responding to emergencies like flooding or wildfires, a few lessons have consistently been noted. Don’t miss these four things as you prepare ahead of time for an emergency.
- Clarity of roles matters more than the size of your plan. In an emergency, confusion costs time. Elected officials, administrators, and department heads should understand who has decision-making authority, who manages operations, and who communicates with the public. Even a small incident command structure that’s adapted to a small-town capacity can help make sure decisions are sound and made efficiently.
- Documentation protects your community during recovery. During an incident, it’s tempting to move fast and just get the work done. However, tracking decisions, expenditures and damage (even with a simple log/notebook!) can help support your community when it comes to Federal and State reimbursement, claims with RMSA, and post-incident reviews. Good documentation is good recovery planning.
- Know your critical infrastructure – and their weak points. Identify which roads, rivers and culverts, pump stations, facilities, and utilities are the most vulnerable to weather emergencies. Do this before an emergency happens – a short list of infrastructure to protect gives everyone a plan and things to prioritize when an emergency does happen and conditions are changing fast.
- A plan that isn’t tested won't hold up under pressure. Emergency plans should be created and tested before they’re needed. Tabletop and sandbox exercise allow staff and elected officials to walk through realistic flood or wildfire scenarios, test decision-making, and identify gaps – without the stress of a real incident. Even short, low-cost exercises can help clarify roles, improve coordination, and build confidence.
Disasters may be unpredictable, but your response doesn't have to be.