Nate - Irma - Dothan Houston County Emergency Management Agency

Rickey Stokes

Viewed: 2965

Posted by: RStokes
Date: Oct 08 2017 8:40 PM

DOTHAN - HOUSTON COUNTY:   Since January 1 Dothan - Houston County Emergency Management Director Chris Judah has hit the ground running.

Judah has not had any time to stop and relax. He has constantly worked to make Dothan - Houston County Emergency Management Agency a functioning - active agency. 

Three functioning goals of Emergency Management: (1) Prepardness (2) Response (3) Recovery. These three goals are constantly in Judah's mind as he looks at ways to serve and protect the citizens and guests of Dothan - Houston County.

This county is blessed with a fantastic leadership organization in fire - police - Sheriff -  EMS - utilities. These entities are supported with a great backbone of emergency service functions that operate in the Emergency Management Operations Center making sure all resources are ready if needed.

Some think Emergency Management is weather. While the management of the potential disaster's weather can impose on a community, no where in the name of Emergency Management does it define - you are a weatherman, meterologist.

But Emergency Management, along with all services of police - fire - EMS - Sheriff - utilities prepare for the worse. Then the service agencies, 211, VOAD, Salavation Army, hospitals, road and bridge, Dothan Engineering, Alabama Department of Transportation, Alabama Department of Human Resources, all come together and ready to make things happen.

Dothan - Houston County Emergency Management also responds across the county to calls of significance. There to support the 17 volunteer fire agencies in Houston County, 5 EMS, 2 Search and Rescue that has about 300 volunteers. The role of Emergency Management responding to the significant calls, is to make sure that all resources needed for that volunteer agency to serve the citizens in an emergency are available. To let those who volunteer know, you are supported and what resources you need - EMA will make them happen.

Houston County works Monday through Thursday. If a holiday falls, that holiday is normally taken off on Monday. Like this week. Since Chris Judah has come on board as Director of Dothan - Houston County Emergency Management Agency, the off days of Friday, Saturday, Sunday and those on Monday...rarely is Judah not working.

From 2 AM Sunday morning until after 9:30 AM on Sunday, Chris Judah was in the Emergency Operations Center. While you slept he watched all systems and data that comes into the Emergency Operations Center. Should the need arise the weather sirens and notification systems were in place to activate. 

All weekend was spent in and out of EMA with weather briefings. Getting the most information possible in order for accurate protective decisions were made.

After being up all day Saturday, since 2 AM Sunday morning, I snuck a picture of EMA Director Judah following the latest National Weather Service briefing. After a all night watch...so the citizens could be protected.

FINALLY, Dothan - Houston County has a "real" emergency management director working, working many areas other than weather, to make sure we are prepared.

Along with him are many volunteers and some staff, a lot of agencies of police - fire - sheriff - EMS and utilities to help achieve that goal.

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