Norman Organizations Partner to Improve Disaster Response and Recovery

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NORMAN, OKLA. - The Norman Community Needs Network, led by University of Oklahoma faculty, hosted its fourth annual summit of government agencies, churches, tribal government, and non-profit organizations in the Norman area on March 24 to explore the successes and limitations of the community’s response to severe weather and preparedness for future disasters.

Thirty-three representatives from 24 organizations participated in a discussion-based tabletop exercise to bolster interagency connections and cooperation to improve the response to future severe weather.

“The disaster preparedness workshop is one-of-a-kind as it is based on social network and knowledge exchange research on the region, and incorporates a wide range of sectors,” said Xiaochen Angela Zhang, Ph.D., leader of the project. “Most disaster preparedness workshops only involve one or two sectors.”

The workshop was part of a National Science Foundation-funded research project led by Zhang to examine how to leverage social networks and communal capacity to strengthen regional, city, county, nonprofit, and business sectors via mutual collaboration. Representatives reported that this year’s summit had been the most diverse in terms of organizational attendance, including utility companies, churches, departments of the city of Norman, and other voluntary organizations that would be active in a disaster.

“For me, the biggest takeaway is that I don’t need to try to do everything myself,” said Cleveland County Health Department Local Emergency Response Coordinator Steve Wood. “I just need to know who is with what organization and what functions they do. I just need to make a phone call, and that person is ready to go.”

Disaster preparedness is not limited to organizations — residents of Norman also play a vital role and should develop their own plans.

“It’s extremely important to be prepared and be resilient,” said American Red Cross Community Disaster Program Manager Linda Medford. “And you can’t do that if you don’t know your community, [or] those partners and those resources in your community.”

Due to its existing partnerships with the Community Needs Network, an initiative of the United Way of Norman, and the Center for Faculty Excellence at the University of Oklahoma, the city of Norman is a model for this kind of project. Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management Public Affairs Director Keli Cain has some advice for other cities looking to host a similar workshop.

"Keep an open mind,” said Cain. “Don't only look to the communities that have been involved with disasters in the past. Look at the organizations that have the ability to be involved in the future, or they just want to be involved.”

To conclude this year’s summit, United Way of Norman President Daren Wilson had this to say regarding the workshop.

“Just an incredible day being able to bring so many people to the table to discuss disaster response,” said Wilson. “[It’s] a topic that we wish and hope we don’t face. However, being prepared when disasters happen is crucial to the success of recovery. As a community, this workshop is critical in our preparedness strategy.”