Newly formed council looks towards disaster preparedness
Group seeking volunteers
GRANT COUNTY — On a recent drive back from Wenatchee, Travis Skidmore came upon a car accident on the highway. The accident was a violent one, and emergency crews had not yet made it to the scene.
"Before first responders were able to respond," he said, "there were already citizens out there helping."
In a situation like that, Skidmore wants citizens to have the tools needed to help. Skidmore is the Homeland Security Planner for Grant County Emergency Management. He is helping with the formation of a Citizen Corps Council in Grant County.
Still in its most primary stages, the program is designed to tailor a local approach to community planning in an emergency. The council is one of a handful in this region of the state and is funded through the Department of Homeland Security.
Whether it is the threat of terrorism, crime or any other kind of issue, Skidmore wants citizens to be prepared. While terrorism might not be on the minds of everyone in this area, Skidmore reminds them the county does have sites like the Grand Coulee Dam and the Gorge that could be viewed as susceptible sites.
"We're not on the same level as a Seattle or a New York or a Washington, D.C.," Skidmore said, "but we do have some vulnerabilities."
Skidmore said the council acts as an umbrella for other training courses such as the Community Emergency Response Team, a 20-hour class designed to teach some of the tools needed to respond in case of a disaster. The council will also administer a variety of other programs.
"By no means are we certifying you or making you a professional in that area," Skidmore said of these courses, "but were giving you some tools to have."
Sam Lorenz is the director of Emergency Management for Grant County and he sees the council as a community group that coordinates with other community action groups like the American Red Cross and church volunteer groups.
"The exciting part about it is it's entirely up to the community what they want to do," Lorenz said of the council.
The program is all about coordination, Lorenz said, and determining what kind of tasks need to be done if disaster strikes. He said one of the goals of the group is to enhance response efforts through coordination.
Right now Skidmore is just trying to get the word out about the council. He has already given a talk to a group in Ephrata, and has plans to talk to other groups throughout the county. The council is currently in the developmental stages, but Skidmore said he has hopes of holding some training courses in Grant County by this summer.
The council currently had about a dozen members, but they are looking for more to build a strong council. Anyone interested in the council, or who just wants more information, can call Skidmore at (509) 762-1462.