Leaders practice emergency response, work to make community ready

Our work was based on the challenges we would face in the natural disaster many of us fear the most, a major earthquake.

Classroom training stressed planning ahead and working collaboratively. Simulated emergencies exposed us to operating under rapidly changing conditions and limited resources. Sequestered at a spartan federal training center away from interruptions, we focused on responding to a disaster as it unfolded, putting previous experience and new ideas into action.

Many participants were seasoned public safety and public works personnel; other were professionals in other fields but new to emergency response and recovery. During this rigorous training, we all learned together:

- Disasters are complex events, taxing all aspects of a community.

- Disaster preparedness relies on recognition and action by individuals, neighborhoods, businesses, public agencies and non-profit organizations.

- We have tremendous expertise and resources in our community.

- Community residents expect their leaders to lead during a disaster.

- Tough choices must be made when resources are limited.

- Residents need to understand and be prepared to be on their own for an extended period of time until help arrives.

- Disaster recovery is an often-neglected but critical aspect of disaster planning.

- Providing timely and accurate public information and instructions is essential to public health, safety and community well-being.

- It takes a community to respond to a community disaster. No single person or agency can do it all.

Perhaps most important was building relationships and respect among participants that strengthen our ability to work together. We both came away with a profound appreciation for our respective governments' and community agencies' capabilities, expertise and commitment to excellence. We were humbled by the effort each agency and individual put toward ensuring the success of the training. It was truly a community success.

This experience also increases our understanding of and motivation for our disaster preparedness efforts. Together, we are committed to strengthening the fabric of our communities by building disaster resiliency, response and recovery. Our respective emergency management divisions are key in our preparedness efforts, and will continue to collaborate on motivating and evaluating our community's disaster resiliency efforts

If a large earthquake hits our region, what will the national headlines say? "Bellingham struggles after earthquake," "Thousands isolated by earthquake," "Whatcom County earthquake wipes out entire neighborhoods," "Bellingham survivors may wait weeks for hot meals, baths?"

Please ask yourself: "Am I ready? Is my community ready?" You can be assured that we have asked this question and committed ourselves to helping you answer "yes."

Dan Pike is mayor of Bellingham. Pete Kremen is Whatcom County executive.