Five Questions: Ryan Nicholls

Q: What is the biggest goal of your office in the coming months?

A: One of the goals that we’re trying to meet here is public education and increasing awareness. There are a lot of phone calls when the sirens are sounding, asking, “Where do I go? What do I do?” (Preparation) really needs to be done earlier than that. One of our biggest focuses is public education on preparedness. It’s similar to what the Red Cross teaches – have a 72-hour kit, have a family disaster plan, know where to go for storm protection, have a weather radio.

Q: How did you get involved in emergency management?

A: My initial background is in medicine – I’m a registered nurse and worked in the intensive care unit at Cox South – but I wanted to pursue something in emergency response. I found (an emergency management) master’s degree program at Oklahoma State University, and that’s really what kicked it off for me. I’ll finish that program in May.

Q: How has the office responded to the March 12 tornadoes?

A: We’ve been actively involved in coordinating with the state emergency management agency, providing reports. The assistant director, Larry Woods, has been spearheading all the damage assessments and compiling all those reports, and we submit those as frequently as they come in. Greene County has been approved by (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) for individual assistance, and the main reason for that is the work that Larry has done to get those reports turned in.

Q: How has the scrutiny of the FEMA affected operations at the local level?

A: It doesn’t really change our operations. Disasters start at the local level, and they end there. We’ve always known that. FEMA does play a major role if an emergency is federally declared. The scrutiny on them has given the public a bigger recognition of what emergency management is and what FEMA does. State and federal level controversies are at the state and federal level. But locally, we’ll manage the scene, and we’ll be in charge.

Q: Besides severe weather, what other roles does the emergency management team play?

A: We also help to coordinate the local emergency management committee, which deals with hazardous materials. We meet frequently to discuss how to better plan and prepare for hazardous material release. We help track spills and all the documentation that goes with that. And then inside our emergency operations plan, we have incorporated terrorism. We have local bomb plans, things of that sort that deal with the man-made threats that everyone hears more about since Sept. 11.