|
The city of Willard has created and maintained the
local Emergency Operations Plan. It was first adopted in March of 2004
then revised and improved in January 2005. This plan outlines the
Direction and Control to be implemented in the case of a wide-scale
disaster. It also outlines the actions expected by first-responders,
city employees, and support agencies during a disaster. Specific sites
and contact information for potential workers are provided in both
Volume A and Volume B.
The Emergency Management Office oversees
Willard’s outdoor warning system. The majority of the City has outside
warning coverage from the storm sirens. The six storm sirens in
Willard can be activated from the EOC. They are connected for radio
control activation, programmed with the Springfield/Greene County
Office of Emergency Management, allowing activation locally or from the
many activation sites within Springfield. They are tested the second
Wednesday of every month at 10:00 a.m. Regular maintenance and upkeep
of the storm sirens is maintained by Willard’s Public Works Department. Mitigation involves planning and good decision making
that strengthens a community against future disasters. It is the
prevention stage of disaster preparedness. Willard is looking to the
future of reducing our vulnerabilities to potential disasters.
In
November 2004 Willard City Council approved Willard’s Pre-Disaster
Natural Mitigation Plan. This plan outlines in detail the natural
hazards that threaten the Willard community with a historical record of
each hazard in the region and likely projected impacts in the future.
The plan concludes with a Future Mitigation Pathway, outlining a
five-year plan of various projects to be completed to better fortify
the community against the ravaging affects of natural disasters. It is
necessary for future city planning to include the mitigation actions
outlined in the mitigation plan. Copies of the Mitigation Plan are
available at City Hall. Willard City Hall has been designated as the
Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The entire building is
approximately 2,000 square feet. Within city hall is the large
conference room, approximately 1,000 square feet, which serves as the
collective meeting room for all departments and city officials in times
of emergency. The Alternate EOC is located at the Willard Police
Station.
In the event of a disaster, Willard plans to keep the
public informed with the best available information, coordinating with
all first responders. It is here under Response/Recovery, that you
will be able to find important information related to the disasters. We strongly encourage everyone to make
pre-arrangements regarding storm protection when severe weather
approaches. This includes any type of in-house safe room or
underground basements. Two local churches have volunteered to offer
their basements as a place for residents to seek shelter during severe
weather. These areas are contacted by Willard Emergency Management
Office and opened on a volunteer basis.
New Life Baptist Church 414 E. New Melville (show on map)
742-3951 Church
742-2243 Linda McElroy
742-4083 or 827-0846 or 869-5410 Ed Mahaffey
Willard Community Church 300 E. Proctor
(show on map)
742-1222 Church
459-8866 Dakota Rush (Pastor)
Stacy Winters
Emergency Manangement Director
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
417-742-3033 x 303
Mission Statement: “To create a community that is resilient to large-scale natural and man-made disasters, prepared to respond effectively to a disaster in a way that minimizes the loss of lives and property by implementing the four pillars of emergency management namely mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Willard’s Emergency Management Office operates under the direction of the Mayor. At this time, the office is funded through city resources and participates in the Emergency Management Performance Grant currently managed by the Office of Domestic Preparedness and administered through the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency. The Emergency Management Director is a part-time employee, dedicating 20 hours per week to emergency management for the City.
The Emergency Management Office focuses on the four pillars of emergency management that are mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Extensive planning and training has been applied towards mitigating and preparing the community against all wide-scale disasters.
|
Departments 