Clay County EMA director looks back on job
When Kerrie GentryBlissard started working in emergency management in 1989, few people even knew the words, much less what they meant.
But two singular events in the last two decades changed that. Throw in technology and emergency management, and acronyms like MEMA and FEMA, have become almost household words.
“9-11 changed a great deal of how we work today as far as working together with other agencies and the availability of resources,” Gentry-Blissard said, referring to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.
Following those attacks, the Federal Emergency Management Agency -FEMA -- and Homeland Security made it their mission to make sure the nation was better prepared from the highest levels down to Main Street.
“Before 2003 we used a generic response plan. In 2003, FEMA revised plans to include core capabilities in national response plan operating under the national preparedness goals. This was pushed out to all states for implementation. Now we have a plan that is updated yearly and includes 15 emergency support functions and 20 different annexes,” Gentry-Blissard explained.
The other event was Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, which left a wide path of damage and death across the Gulf Coast. Subsequent hurricanes in the next two years only added to the demand for more resources, training and especially improved response, communication and preparedness.
That has blossomed into an entire new career field.
“When I began in EMA in 1989, most people did not even know what Emergency Management was much less what we did. Today, we have many colleges and associations offering certification programs as well as degrees in emergency management,” she noted.
Other changed, things have as well, some maybe better than others.
“I think for me the biggest change is the paperwork that is involved on a daily basis. When I began in Emergency Management there was very little paperwork involved except in the event of a disaster and now you would not believe the amount of work that is involved. Filing reports, making phone calls, revising plans, creating plans, you name it and we do it,” described Gentry-Blissard, who is retiring as head of the Clay County EMA.
This week was her final full week. She's using vacation time through the end of June when her retirement is official. Torrey Williams is taking over today.
While the paperwork is tedious, it has become the standard for tracking everything from training to storm damage, no matter how large or small. It's particularly important for tracking taxpayer dollars in the wake of storms.
From the public standpoint, improved technology has taken emergency management from the days when there might be a few warning sirens to today's numerous notification methods, not to mention vastly improved weather forecasting.
It all adds up to a public that often is hyper-sensitive to weather.
“Weather forecasting is constantly improving from the types of watches/warnings to the thresholds of each. We have weekly webinars detailing forecast for the week as well as webinars scheduled when bad weather is predicted,” she said.
“We now have mass notification systems and many other ways to get weather information. I believe more people are weather aware today and that is primarily because of the relationships built between National Weather Service and the local EMA,” Gentry-Blissard continued.
It's those storms that so often attract the public's attention that brought her worst and best moments, and most during a stretch in 2011 that marked the worst storm outbreak in the history of the region.
“I think my worst moment during my tenure in Clay County was when the tornado hit the Montpelier/Pheba area in 2011. We had many people that were affected and numerous homes or destroyed or damaged,” she recalled.
“I think the biggest disappointment I encountered was seeing people that needed help after a tornado and couldn't afford to start making the necessary repairs was heart breaking. It actually took Clay County over 30 days to get federally declared when the tornado came through in 2011. Most of the focus was on other areas of the state,” she said, referring to East Webster, Chickasaw County and Smithville among the areas where numerous deaths occurred and the damage was more widespread and severe.
“Once declared, talk about some happy residents, not to mention the happy EMAs.”
“The best moments of this job is seeing someone being helped. Many times that simple smile, hug, or your listening ear can mean so much to someone in need...seeing the residents get the help needed after a major storm,” she said.
She's retiring to start a new chapter in her life with her children, ages 3 and 5. But she will only have to walk down the street for some of the memories to flash back.
of some of the memories that will stick with her.
“From time to time paths do cross with some of the victims I have encountered over the years. We may not remember names, but we surely remember the face and the loss that was incurred,” she concluded.