City of St. George, Utah :: Community Preparedness and Self Reliance

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175 East 200 North

St. George, UT 84770

(435) 627-4000

March 12, 2010

Police Department 200 East 265 North St. George, UT 84770 (435) 634-5000
Animal Control 605 East Skyline Dr. St. George, UT 84770 (435) 634-5829
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Community Preparedness and Self Reliance

Who would have known that a construction crew in Monroe, Utah could leave our corner of the state in virtual isolation from the rest of the world? I'm referring to the fiber-optic cable that was cut a few weeks ago. No long distance worked. The internet didn't work. Even cell phones failed to get through. I couldn't call my contacts in Salt Lake City. I tried to call dispatch and it was busy. Busy!? How could that be? We quickly found out what the problem was and then evaluated what effect it would have to our citizens: "The 911 center was down. How will people call in if there is an emergency?" They would call 911, which would roll over to the non-emergency line. ABut there are only a few lines that can dial directly to dispatch. What if there is an emergency and the caller can't get through due to a non-emergency call? Good question. This gave us the opportunity to put our Emergency Operations Center (EOC) into action.

When we built the police department, we made one of the rooms capable of housing the EOC in case of emergency. There are computer and phone hookups that enabled us to roll over the non-emergency calls from dispatch to this room, leaving the dispatch center free to handle the emergency calls. In this EOC, we brought in off duty dispatchers to staff these phone lines. They took the calls then plugged in the information to the computer and the dispatchers in the 911 center were able to see the information and dispatch the officers. The Red Cross also had representatives there able to respond if needed. The public realized no interruption in service. We activated the Emergency Alert System (EAS) through our local radio stations to inform the public about the procedures to follow in case of emergency. There was still the possibility that people could call in and find the phone busy. What to do then?

We have been holding classes on how citizens can manage emergencies in case police, fire and ambulance services are not available. These classes are called Community Emergency Response Teams, or C.E.R.T. In this training, we teach that in case of an emergency, you should listen to the radio for EAS messages, help yourselves and neighbors and report to your local fire station if services are needed. We would staff these stations with people that had car to car radio contact and radio contact with police, fire and ambulance. So, what if someone heard that the 911 phone system was out, or they tried to call 911 and couldn't get through, would they go to the local fire station? Maybe, so we staffed the fire stations with volunteers and officers with radio contact with dispatch. As part of the Emergency Operations Plan implemented by the mayor and the city council, citizens have been directed to go to the fire station in their neighborhoods in the city of St. George. Fortunately, we had no one respond to any of the fire stations for services. But the system was in place if it was needed.

What should you do if there is a chemical spill on one of our roads, or if there is an earthquake that causes severe damage to one or more neighborhoods?

Get C.E.R.T. trained. This shows you how to provide minor medical aid to your family and neighbors, how to do light extrication from a damaged building, how to do light fire suppression, how to shelter in place and where to report with your findings and needs. The next class starts soon. Call me for an application.
In case of a major event, listen to the radio. Most of the calls we have in the 911 center results from curious people calling in wondering what is going on and clogging up the lines. Call if you have something to report, but to find out about it, listen to the radio or TV or read about it tomorrow in the Spectrum.
If you have an emergency and can't get through to the 911 center, or the non-emergency dispatch number, go to your local fire station (in St. George City). We will staff this with people who have radio contact with emergency services.
Realize that we have to prioritize our calls. Our goal is to help the greatest number of people in the least amount of time. If there is a major event, our emergency services may be tied up for up to 72 hours in other areas where the damage is more severe.
Make sure that you and your household can function and "stand alone" for up to 72 hours. This includes food, water, clothing (which could change depending on the time of year) and medical supplies.

We have the capacity to take care of the day-to-day activities in St. George, which includes some big events. But even with all our officers and all of our city employees, a major event could tax these resources even beyond our capabilities.

Craig Harding
Public Information Officer
St. George Police Department

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