Emergency Operation Plan update approved

Ponca City’s Board of Commissioners approved an update of the city’s Emergency Operation Plan Monday night.

The plan describes the concept of emergency operations. It also assigns duties and responsibilities to key personnel and organizations that will be called on during times of emergencies. The plan and its annual updates are a requirement of the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management.

Emergency Management Director Paula Cain presented the update, which she said contained a large number of changes after this year’s flooding events.

This year’s plan includes several changes in the listing of leadership positions in Kay County, important for contacting those who would enact emergency responses. The document also includes local media contact information.

It also outlines more clearly city department responsibilities and operating guidelines, as well as additions to the evacuation annex. These recommended changes were made after many departments responded to the May 2019 flooding which forced evacuations, quick response to road closings and preservation of critical public services.

After that experience, new maps were drawn for emergency operations, with known areas of flooding shown, and  evacuation procedures were beefed up with a resident contact list and protocol for providing warnings.