Like other cities in Texas, the City of Simonton (the City) must plan to meet “head-on” the threat of a multitude of emergencies. Recently, the City held a preparedness exercise to ensure that the community was prepared to handle a flood event. Last month’s exercise, which began at 8:00 a.m. and lasted several hours, involved training 15 community volunteers on their ability to pick up, deliver, deploy, operate, take down and return the City’s trailer-mounted flood pumps effectively and efficiently.

 The City of Simonton recently agreed to coordinate flood pump operations with the Valley Lodge Property Owners Association (VLPOA), which resides within the City’s limits. This agreement gives the VLPOA, led in this event by VLPOA Board of Directors’ member Stephan Sear, the responsibility for maintaining, staffing and operating the flood pumps.

 According to the City of Simonton’s Emergency Management Coordinator Louis Boudreaux, the exercise showed the pumps could be removed from storage, set up on-site and operational in under 50 minutes. “A quick response is very important when it comes to dealing with an emergency,” said Boudreaux. “The volunteers did an excellent job in this exercise and showed a significant commitment to protect their community,” he added.

Simonton is doing its part to work with local groups such as the VLPOA to protect the community. The Mayor of Simonton Daniel McJunkin said, “It’s not easy being a small city in Texas because the public’s expectation for emergency preparedness is high. We have limited financial resources and no paid city staff to set up and run emergency equipment, but, what we lack in resources, we make up for with community spirit and preparedness.”

 The City has achieved an important preparedness milestone through partnering with community groups to take on important tasks. McJunkin continued, “I am pleased with the turnout and with the outcome of the exercise. The volunteers learned about pump operations and the City has learned from the exercise as well.”

 In addition to this exercise, the city intends to hold regular training events to prepare for other types of emergencies. According to Boudreaux, “Our primary concerns are the potential for hurricanes and river flooding. We are also preparing for how to deal with tornados, wild fires, chemical spills and other general emergencies.”

 Through the leadership of Jeff Braun, Fort Bend County’s Emergency Management Coordinator, the City of Simonton has partnered with the other communities in the area to achieve better emergency preparedness through development of its own Emergency Action Plan, which was created with the help of Alderwoman Sandy Bohannon.

 Simonton City Council Members, as well as a number of local volunteers, have completed numerous online training courses provided by FEMA covering the “National Incident Management System” (NIMS), which is a standardized approach to manage emergency events that is used nationwide. The City has also become active in Citizen’s Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and the Medical Reserve Corps program.

Volunteers are always welcomed and appreciated. If you would like to join with the City of Simonton in protecting your local community, please call Simonton City Hall at 281-533-9809. 

Like other cities in Texas, the City of Simonton (the City) must plan to meet “head-on” the threat of a multitude of emergencies. Recently, the City held a preparedness exercise to ensure that the community was prepared to handle a flood event. Last month’s exercise, which began at 8:00 a.m. and lasted several hours, involved training 15 community volunteers on their ability to pick up, deliver, deploy, operate, take down and return the City’s trailer-mounted flood pumps effectively and efficiently.

The City of Simonton recently agreed to coordinate flood pump operations with the Valley Lodge Property Owners Association (VLPOA), which resides within the City’s limits. This agreement gives the VLPOA, led in this event by VLPOA Board of Directors’ member Stephan Sear, the responsibility for maintaining, staffing and operating the flood pumps.

According to the City of Simonton’s Emergency Management Coordinator Louis Boudreaux, the exercise showed the pumps could be removed from storage, set up on-site and operational in under 50 minutes. “A quick response is very important when it comes to dealing with an emergency,” said Boudreaux. “The volunteers did an excellent job in this exercise and showed a significant commitment to protect their community,” he added

Simonton is doing its part to work with local groups such as the VLPOA to protect the community. The Mayor of Simonton Daniel McJunkin said, “It’s not easy being a small city in Texas because the public’s expectation for emergency preparedness is high. We have limited financial resources and no paid city staff to set up and run emergency equipment, but, what we lack in resources, we make up for with community spirit and preparedness.”

The City has achieved an important preparedness milestone through partnering with community groups to take on important tasks. McJunkin continued, “I am pleased with the turnout and with the outcome of the exercise. The volunteers learned about pump operations and the City has learned from the exercise as well.”

In addition to this exercise, the city intends to hold regular training events to prepare for other types of emergencies. According to Boudreaux, “Our primary concerns are the potential for hurricanes and river flooding. We are also preparing for how to deal with tornados, wild fires, chemical spills and other general emergencies.”

Through the leadership of Jeff Braun, Fort Bend County’s Emergency Management Coordinator, the City of Simonton has partnered with the other communities in the area to achieve better emergency preparedness through development of its own Emergency Action Plan, which was created with the help of Alderwoman Sandy Bohannon. 

Simonton City Council Members, as well as a number of local volunteers, have completed numerous online training courses provided by FEMA covering the “National Incident Management System” (NIMS), which is a standardized approach to manage emergency events that is used nationwide. The City has also become active in Citizen’s Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and the Medical Reserve Corps program. 

Volunteers are always welcomed and appreciated. If you would like to join with the City of Simonton in protecting your local community, please call Simonton City Hall at 281-533-9809.

The Fort Bend County Special Needs Awareness Program Survey will assist Fort Bend County departments, such as the Office of Emergency Management and Health and Human Services, plan how to assist people with special needs in the county during an emergency or natural disaster.

The survey form is not a request for evacuation transportation, since Fort

Bend County is not an evacuation county. However, if severe weather is anticipated, or if there is severe wind damage or flooding after a storm, some people may need to be moved to a safer place.

During a disaster or an emergency, people with special needs may require assistance if they experience power outages, need medications or require medical support. This survey will help us identify people who may need assistance during an emergency and assist us in planning for such an event. If you have a disability, use medical equipment at home, are hearing or vision impaired, or are elderly, and anticipate needing assistance please complete our survey.

You can download a copy of the survey from the Fort Bend County website at ww.fortbendcountygov.com or you may complete the survey online from the same website.

If you have a paper copy of the survey or if you have any questions, please

contact:

Fort Bend County Health & Human Services

Special Needs Awareness Program

4520 Reading Road, Suite A

Rosenberg, TX 77471

(281) 238-3233

Or email us at:

hhs@co.fort-bend.tx.us

Thank you for your assistance

FORT BEND COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Severe Weather Awareness Week – Feb 23, 2010

Posted February 23, 2010 09:11:49 CST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Richmond, TX - Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management urges Texans to prepare for severe storms before they strike. Your family should have an emergency supply kit on hand. Your supplies should be kept in water resistant, easy-to-lift containers that you can move rapidly if necessary. This supply kit is appropriate for severe weather events as well as other emergencies. It should include:

• First-aid kit
• Cash (power outages mean banks and ATMs may be unavailable)
• Road maps
• Battery-operated radio and flashlight with extra batteries
• Important documents and records, photo IDs, proof of residence
• Three-day supply of non-perishable food, one gallon of bottled water per person per day, coolers for food and ice storage
• Fire extinguisher
• Blankets, sleeping bags and extra clothing
• Extra medications and prescriptions, hearing aids and other special medical items
• Eyeglasses and sunglasses
• Toilet paper, clean-up supplies, duct tape, tarp, rope
• Can opener, knife, tools, booster cables
• Special supplies needed for babies, older adults or pets

Remember to change perishable supplies and water every six months.