Portions of the Public Safety Center are currently under construction, including the HometownREADY Podcast Studio.  We will be taking a short hiatus from the monthly podcasts but will return as soon as reasonably possible.  We apologize for the disruption and look forward to getting back in the seat with our future special guests! In the meantime, feel free to review or catch up with past episodes and don’t forget to click the subscribe button.  Also, you can stay in touch with us via social media to remain HometownREADY and, as always, BE AWARE and TAKE CARE!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpringfieldGreeneOEMX (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/gcoemInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gc_oem/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GreeneCountyOEMLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gcoem/mycompany/

Prevention, Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.  The 5 main components of emergency planning.  Join our host, Aubrey Johnson, as he talks to Katie Kovach (Area Municipalities Planner) and Gretchen Ruffa (City/County Planner) about all things related to emergency planning. 

The Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management has been busy the past few weeks planning two special events which occur annually.  The Ozark Empire Fair and the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival draw thousands of people and require a collaborative effort among public safety partners and non-governmental organizations in order to provide a safe environment for attendees.  In this episode, we talk with Kevin Bosley, the General Manager of Wade Shows to discuss planning and safety for the Ozark Empire Fair.  Next, we have a discussion with Laura Dannegger of Aaron Sachs & Associates along with Eric Latimer, Operations Section Chief for Springfield Fire.

The answer is no, but . . . there was a time when a drone pilot had to explain why their drone did not have one.  Listen to our host, Aubrey Johnson, discuss this and many other drone-related issues with Jason Preston of 417 Drone Imaging and Kenneth Norris, OEM Logistics Specialist, during this month’s HometownREADY podcast.

This month, 3 subject matter experts from the community met with our host to discuss Operation Chem Loco, a hazardous materials table-top exercise recently conducted by OEM.  Ralph Siccama with Greene County LEPC, Larry Woods as the Director of Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management, and Christopher Roush EMS & Special Operations with Springfield Fire Department. With railway hazmat exercises in the news recently, the timing of this tabletop was highly relevant to current events, though the planning to put this together began more than 6 months prior. In this episode, the group discusses exercises, planning, collaboration in the local community, and the exercises’ relationship to community resources. Whether the focus is on training, exercising, planning, or responding to an emergency, collaboration is ultimately what the group recognizes as the center point of our responsibility to our communities.

On April 18, 2023 Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management hosted a functional exercise at Praise Assembly in north Springfield. An unusual disaster exercise with no visual damage or responders, the focus of this exercise was purely on recovery efforts. Many from throughout the state had never experienced an exercise like this and OEM staff had at least no recollection of such an exercise in the past 10 years. The exercise itself brought together 20 organizations throughout the state with the majority coming from Region D. This recovery exercise showing the capabilities of a MARC, Multi-Agency Resource Center, focused on bringing as many of the essential functions of an individual’s life together as possible in one place to help a community recover from disaster.

In this episode, the Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management staff discuss the coming season of Special Events. The current OEM staff brings to the table many different walks of life, viewpoints, and education. Most of the group has however participated in the planning process for special events, as well as the working of said events. The OEM crew discusses an entry level understanding of tools and processes needed to put together a Special Event. The crew also shares their experience and lessons learned from working a command post at the events. 

In this episode we talk with Keely Leeper and Brody Harrison from Mercy Springfield Burn Unit. The focus of the conversation is the burn unit itself and management of moderate to serious burns sustained by the community. The Level 1 Burn Center in Springfield at Mercy is the only burn center in at minimum at 150 miles radius. This brings many other communities into Springfield for burn related emergencies. The Mercy burn center nurses go into discussion of what is treated at this burn center, how common burns are, and when someone should be seen at the burn center. If you wish to have more information on the burn center you can contact Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management or the Mercy Burn Center through [email protected].

In this episode we talk about winter weather safety for pets with Michele Rehkop from Rescue One, a foster-based animal rescue in Springfield, MO. Focusing mainly on family cats and dogs, Michele gives some insight into the organization and some pro tips to understand what winter may be like for your best friend. From shoes for your pet, to how to adopt, we dive into a variety of topics that often elude the public and can send pets to the vet clinic. Your furry friend may not be able to talk, so let Rescue One talk for them about essential needs during the winter months. If you find this organization interesting and want to know more, you can visit  https://rescueonespringfield.com/ to find a way you can help too!

In this episode, we discuss trends in the world of volunteering with our partners Debi Meeds from American Red Cross and Michelle Garand from Community Partnership of the Ozarks. Over the past 20 years, several studies have been completed on volunteering in our society. In the preparedness and disaster management community, volunteerism accounts for a significant amount of the work that is accomplished. Referencing trends and publications on the subject, we look at the needs of our local community and our opinions on what has and will continue to change in the world of volunteering. From the lack of hours available in people’s day-to-day lives, to the increased need for volunteers, and, as always, the infamous COVID-19 impacts, we work through the changes in our society that could play a role in what we have experienced as volunteer managers. As we head into a new year of resolutions and changes for students, we also take this opportunity to discuss options to volunteer locally. Tune in to listen and contact [email protected] for more information on the cast or volunteering!