{"id":35485,"date":"2023-03-01T23:07:41","date_gmt":"2023-03-02T06:07:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/residents-get-a-primer-on-emergency-planning-in-montezuma-county\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T02:24:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T08:24:56","slug":"residents-get-a-primer-on-emergency-planning-in-montezuma-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/residents-get-a-primer-on-emergency-planning-in-montezuma-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Residents get a primer on emergency planning in Montezuma County"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The
The Red Cross hosts multiple emergency preparedness programs each year, including Sound the Alarm. (Courtesy Photo\/Sean Killoy)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

In February, the League of Women\u2019s Voters in Montezuma County hosted an event on emergency preparedness with Red Cross\u2019s Southwest Colorado Disaster Program Manager Sean Killoy and Montezuma County\u2019s Emergency Manager Jim Spratlen on how residents can prepare for emergencies.<\/p>\n

Karen Sheek, who is on Montezuma County\u2019s League of Women\u2019s Voters leadership team, said the presentation taught attendees how to plan and prepare for emergencies and the importance of building a network to utilize during crisis.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to get to a disaster and have everybody passing out business cards,\u201d Sheek said. \u201cWe want there to be a network. We want people to know one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

Killoy, who covers 11 counties and two tribes in Southwest Colorado for the Red Cross, said working for the Red Cross originally wasn\u2019t on his radar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had no idea I would end up doing this,\u201d he said. \u201cI spent most of my life as a Navy officer.\u201d After Killoy began volunteering for Team Rubicon he \u201cstumbled\u201d into working full-time for the Red Cross.<\/p>\n

Learning to be prepared<\/strong><\/div>\n

Killoy emphasized that preparation and resilience are key during emergencies or disasters.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we don\u2019t want to have happen is people either panicked and getting in the way of first responders or frozen in paralysis,\u201d Killoy said.<\/p>\n

Promoting safety and planning is part of emergency manager Spratlen\u2019s job, and he is part of building mitigation plans for the county. Those plans are updated every five years.<\/p>\n

The plans prepare for natural disasters such as wildfires, snowstorms, flooding, wind, lightning and avalanches, along with road closures, power outages, human threats or sickness such as the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n

Killoy and Spratlen agree that it\u2019s important to know what to do in an emergency and what to have with you ready to go. What do you need in your car? What do you need ready for a hasty getaway?<\/p>\n

Spratlen said the recommendation used to be to have a 24-hour emergency kit, but that has changed. During a wildfire, you might have a few minutes to evacuate, leaving no time to gather what you may need.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m saying be prepared for a week,\u201d Spratlen said. \u201cJust have water, have candles, have games to play and make sure you\u2019re stocked with enough food for a minimum of a week.\u201d<\/p>\n

He emphasized the importance of stocking medications if you require medication, and having at least a small generator, especially for those who use oxygen or are on dialysis.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave what you need,\u201d Spratlen said. \u201cIf there\u2019s 2,000 people in need, I\u2019m not going to be able to get to all 2,000. Get prepared and be prepared so you\u2019re not one of the ones I have to find. Have a go-kit and be ready to bug out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBe aware of what the potential is in your community, what you can do to help yourself,\u201d Sheek added. \u201cHow you can help your family not only allows them to be able to deal with that in a less panicky way, but it may actually wind up saving lives. It\u2019s better to know some of these things ahead of time than to try to figure it out when, you know, there\u2019s fire in your backyard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nixle emergency texting service<\/strong><\/div>\n

Both Killoy and Spratlen urge community members to sign up for Nixle, a free service that sends text messages to inform residents on any emergencies, road closures, weather, disasters and more taking place in Montezuma County.<\/p>\n

To sign up for Nixle, text your ZIP code to 888777 and you will be subscribed to the text messaging services. If you\u2019d like to receive these alerts in your email as well, simply text the same number your email address.<\/p>\n

\n

Sign up for Nixle alerts<\/h4>\n

Text your ZIP code to the number 888777 to sign up for the free service. Text your email address to the same number to get email alerts. The service is free and provides information such as road closures, extreme weather, fire evacuations and severe crimes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Red Cross in Southwest Colorado<\/strong><\/p>\n

In addition to speaking on preparedness, Killoy spoke about the work Red Cross is doing, and the need for volunteers after numbers dropped in the wake of COVID.<\/p>\n

Red Cross provides free installation of three smoke alarms per household, in partnership with the Cortez Fire Protection District.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll check out existing smoke alarms and install up to three,\u201d Killoy said.<\/p>\n

For the hearing-impaired, Red Cross also may provide strobe light alarms or alarms that shake the bed. The Red Cross recently passed the milestone of installing over 2.5 million free smoke alarms.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Red Cross has helped install millions of free smoke alarms for those in need. (Sean Killoy\/Courtesy photo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

In the event of a house fire, Red Cross sometimes can help with financial assistance or emergency shelter and with replaced medication or eyeglasses until insurance kicks in.<\/p>\n

Killoy also offers classes on first-aid and CPR. Prepare with Pedro (kindergarten to second grade) and Pillowcase Project (third to sixth grades) are geared toward elementary-age students, while Red Cross Ready and Stop the Bleed educate adults.<\/p>\n

In the aftermath of the East Troublesome Fire in 2020, which required mandatory evacuations for Estes Park residents, Killoy said he met children who had attended Red Cross classes and were able to coach their families during the evacuation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll go anywhere and teach CPR or Stop the Bleed or Red Cross Ready,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Need for volunteers<\/strong><\/div>\n

In the Colorado and Wyoming region, there are 1,600 volunteers. Thirty of them are in Southwest Colorado, but Killoy said they need volunteers willing to work a few hours each week.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are chronically short of volunteers for literally anything,\u201d he said. \u201cThe dedication of volunteers is really staggering. It really is our job to train, equip and deploy volunteers.\u201d<\/p>\n

To learn more about volunteering or Red Cross classes, call Killoy at (719) 649-3862 or (571) 268-4567. People also may contact the Red Cross directly at 1-800-REDCROSS or through www.redcross.org.<\/p>\n

Montezuma County\u2019s hazard-mitigation plans, wildfire protection plans, emergency operations, resources and monthly report from Spratlen can be viewed at https:\/\/montezumacounty.org\/services\/office-of-emergency-management\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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