Marion, Are You Ready for Disaster?

Should a disaster or emergency ever fall upon Marion, you’d be in good hands with the Marion/Rochester Regional Health District and community volunteers who would be ready and waiting to assist you at Sippican School, Marion’s designated emergency shelter.

Local health officials, in conjunction with the Medical Reserve Corps, have spent the last year mobilizing volunteers and coordinating their efforts to establish one cohesive plan for setting up an efficient and fully functioning emergency shelter for Marion and Rochester residents.

Regional Coordinator Lisa Jackson gave about 20 area residents an introduction to the logistics of an emergency shelter at Sippican, a list of dos for those needing shelter, and a message on the importance of volunteering.

First, when arriving at the school, residents are required to sign-in, and sign-out should they leave. Jackson stressed the importance of this first step in the process.

“It’s accountability,” said Jackson. Not only does it ensure that people can be safely located within the building, it also helps when relatives might be looking for someone in the event of a disaster. When a person’s name appears on the sign-in/sign-out sheet, families can be reunited easier.

Several mock stations were set up so residents could tour the virtual emergency shelter, seeing where cots would be provided in a make-shift dormitory in the all-purpose room, where food service would be located in the cafeteria, where medical treatment could be found, and where pets could be kept.

Yes, pets are allowed at the Marion emergency shelter.

“It helps people feel more at ease with their pets with them,” said Health Agent Karen Walega.

Pet owners should bring their own pet food and crates, although a few extra crates would be available for smaller animals. There is even a veterinarian on the roster of local volunteers.

Residents should come prepared with their own medications and bedding, and anyone with special dietary needs or food allergies should bring with them the supplies they need.

The shelter at Sippican School last opened during the blizzard of 2013 when the town lost power for 50 hours.

“It got cold real fast,” said Marion Police Chief Lincoln Miller. About 180 people came out, either to sleep or just to warm up for a while. Some came just to charge their electronic devices at a charging station set up to keep in contact with loved ones while warming up.

“That was one of the largest sheltering [operations] we’ve ever had in this town,” said Miller.

It gave health officials and emergency response personnel the opportunity to assess areas that needed improvement and where there was a shortage in volunteers.

There is still a need for volunteers, said Jackson. You do not need to be a medical specialist, either. The local MRC needs data entry help, personal care assistants, childcare workers, food workers, and communications workers, among other things.

“Not all communities are this well-prepared,” said Jackson.

Public Health Nurse Kathleen Downy urged community members to contact her with interest in volunteering. She said people who come to the shelter feel more comfortable with familiar faces from the community volunteering.

“Please join the MRC,” said Downey. “It’s a great organization.”

By Jean Perry

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2 Responses to “Marion, Are You Ready for Disaster?”

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  1. Greg Ruf says:

    I must have missed the pre-event announcement. I was unaware this was happening. Perhaps we could use better coverage before such events to help get the word out? Too often, I seem to hear about town happenings after the fact.

  2. admin says:

    We’re sorry you missed the prior notices. This item was published in The Wanderer on January 14 on page 57, January 21 on page 59, on line in our events calendar, and the notice was published on our website on January 14. The information was also published in the events section of wanderertoday.com on the day of the event.

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