3 Takeaways:

• Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Emergency Manager Chuck Kmet and Emergency Manager Coordinators Terry Nelson and Kirsten VanDeventer attended the Arizona Association of Emergency Managers Conference.
• VanDeventer and Kmet both serve on the Arizona Association of Emergency Managers Board of Directors.
• Two presentations stood out, one on the World Cup and another on equine emergency evacuation.

The Hilton Scottsdale Resort and Villas could have been viewed as one of the safest places in the Valley this summer as emergency managers, disaster recovery professionals and safety officials gathered for the annual Arizona Association of Emergency Managers Conference from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2.

The half-week-long conference allowed for networking opportunities and presented panel discussions on how emergency managers help keep their respective communities safe. Representatives for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community attended.

Two presentations of note featured equine emergency evacuation and the World Cup.

The equine emergency evacuation breakout session provided an opportunity for safety officials to explain the proper methods people should implement during an emergency to ensure the safety and well-being of equines—or, as they’re also known, horses.

The World Cup presentation featured Troy Lutrick and Robert Campa, two officials who worked basecamp and operational procedures during the soccer matches held this summer across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Basecamp procedures, often referred to as incident base, involve establishing a physical location to house administration support specialists and any logistics an emergency team needs. This can include shelter, food, sleeping areas and sanitary facilities such as restrooms.

Operational procedures involve the creation of step-by-step protocols that guide an individual/team regarding how to execute and complete tasks in the event of an emergency.

SRPMIC Emergency Manager Chuck Kmet and Emergency Manager Coordinators Terry Nelson and Kirsten VanDeventer also attended the conference.

VanDeventer serves as the vice president of the Arizona Association of Emergency Managers Board of Directors. Kmet is on the board as well, serving as the membership liaison officer. VanDeventer was quite busy during the conference, as she also served on the certification panel during the final day.

SRPMIC officials attended breakout sessions, shared insights and visited the vendor booths displaying advancements in emergency shelters, equipment and more.

Nelson attended several sessions, including “Community-Driven Post-Wildfire Recovery Planning at the Grand Canyon,” facilitated by Coconino County Emergency Management Director Tim Carter and Ashleigh Makuch, director of planning and preparedness with AC Disaster Consulting.

Together, the duo covered how the Grand Canyon and certain parts of northern Arizona will always experience wildfires, therefore it’s imperative for area residents to communicate with emergency and safety officials when it comes to creating prevention and recovery plans during wildfire season.

“This was a county-led effort,” began Makuch as she detailed how their recovery plan received a massive update from the public after last year’s wildfire season.

She added, “[This recovery plan] should be owned by all the individual jurisdictions and tribes that are involved. They’re the ones that saw the impacts; those communities are the voices that needed to be reflected in this plan. We held three meetings with the public; these were really fantastic ways for us to speak directly with the impacted communities.”

Though the conference was only three days long, its positive impacts will resonate far beyond those three days, or at the very least until next year’s conference in the Valley of the Sun.

For individuals interested in becoming a member of the Arizona Emergency Managers Association, check out their website at www.azemergencymanagers.org.