Emergency Management

Edmond, OK –

Today, over 50 community leaders and law enforcement officials met at Fairview Baptist Church in Edmond to formulate a contingency plan should the metro area experience a communication and/or power blackout for an extended period of time due to the current unrest sweeping the country. Don Spencer, President of OK2A Association, and Leslie NesSmith, of Oklahoma City, led the meeting.

Should communications and power go out for reasons other than natural disasters or acts of God, both rally captains and rally point points of contact have been determined. The rally captains’ responsibility will be to disseminate information from the POC’s to the public at large. They will do this by meeting at the two primary rally points at pre-determined dates and times: Higher Plains Baptist Church at 6810 NW 122nd St., Oklahoma City, OK; and Fairview Baptist Church – Edmond, at 1230 Sooner Rd., Edmond, OK. In order to ensure things remain orderly, these meetings are not for the public-at-large.

For the public-at-large, your point of contact for information and instructions will be your local rally captains. In the event of mass power and/or communication outages for reasons other than natural forces, you will see these rally captains driving throughout your neighborhood with instructions and information on what to do next to keep your friends and family safe.

Each rally captain has been given established procedures for determining whether any communication and/or power blackout is from natural sources or from outside influences. Please do not jump to conclusion just because the lights flicker. It maybe nothing but wind and weather. If it is something more than nature, you will best be able to protect your family and community by remaining calm and in your homes (except for necessary trips to the grocery store or doctor).

It is important to remember that even if outages are caused by outside forces, those outages will not last forever. Think of it like a rehearsal for severe weather season. Have a plan in place for yourself and your family, remain calm, and wait for instructions. Rest assured, all of us will get through this time of stress together.