Regional Readiness Rendezvous prepares communities for disasters

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, hundreds of emergency managers, health care providers and first responders will gather in the Stephens Performing Arts Center in Pocatello to discuss ways to prepare for disasters.

The event, now in its fourth year, draws in people from all around the region and even some from as far away as Florida.

According to Southeastern Idaho Public Health’s Jessy Sears, organizers take an “all-hazards approach” to the planning of the event.

“Just across the board, your hospitals, your emergency managers, your fire EMS, your law enforcement,” Sears explained were among those discussing these topics and learning from one another.

Although not commonplace in Idaho, Ebola and hurricanes were among the topics discussed Tuesday. Sears says it’s all part of the shared learning.

“We’re gonna learn from the lessons that they capture. And we can take evacuations during a hurricane, are going to look and feel very similar to evacuations during a wildfire,” she explained.

“And that’s really what we’re here to do is prepare the community and build those partnerships so that we are ready, no matter what the disaster is.”

The event runs from Monday to Wednesday, with the final day’s event being a basic disaster life safety course. One that Sears said will feature hands-on, first-hand training to a selected group of approximately 70.

“I don’t think you could get a broader range of people in the same building that are really just focused on the same thing and that is the overall health and resiliency of our communities.”