'What if… ?' Preparing for the worst

Emergency service providers have a simple definition of a disaster: It is an event with an impact that exceeds the resources available to respond.

There are plenty of local events that could qualify under that definition: massive wildfire, passenger jet crash, earthquake, disease pandemic, hazardous-materials spill, floods, even perhaps a terrorist attack.

The probability of some of these, such as terror attack, is pretty small. On the other hand, the chance of major wildfires is reasonably high.

In the series that ran in the Inter Lake in the past week, we took a close look at all of these possibilities and how well-prepared the Flathead is to handle them.

These stories weren't intended to scare the heck out of everybody and make people worry about any coming local apocalypse. They were simply a way to gauge preparedness at official levels and then present some common-sense ways regular citizens can be prepared, too.

The lessons from Hurricane Katrina are implicit in looking at the worst that can happen and figuring out how to cope with those events. After Katrina hit, the widespread devastation and sheer number of people affected soon overwhelmed the local community's ability to deal with the situation.

The chaos that ensued was intensified because so many people waited for the government to step in, rescue them and handle the situation. As we have since learned, that government help is not always at hand or doesn't come very soon.

What about the Flathead?

For some likely disasters, such as wildfires, the area is pretty well-prepared, largely because, in the words of one fire boss, "We have so many of them."

Others - a major earthquake or a flood - might be more problematic, particularly because of the ever-increasing numbers ofa people living in the valley.

There is a range of disaster plans floating around local governmental circles, although some of them are very outdated. Commendable efforts are under way to update these plans this year.

And the Flathead has a host of law officers, ambulance services, fire departments, rescue responders and medical personnel. But in a disaster, they're going to be very busy. And a major event could well overwhelm the first line of response.

Kalispell Fire Chief Randy Brodehl has succinct advice for citizens in the event of a major disaster such as an earthquake:

"Don't plan on calling 911 and getting a response," he says. "People need to plan on being self-sufficient."

Therefore the preparedness solution, from an individual standpoint, is to plan to be self-reliant for at least 72 hours. Figure out what are the most critical things to take with you if you have to evacuate, and figure out what you need to survive for three days if you're forced to stay in your home.

That includes everything from water and food to critical medications - for every family member.

A state Web site at www.mt.gov/dma/des, outlines family preparedness in five steps.

In a sense, preparing for a major disaster is not much different than having proper supplies on hand to wait out a big winter storm.

The key element to remember is that if a massive catastrophe strikes, at least for a while we all are on our own.