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Emergency Management Plan

Dear Oakland Neighbors,

We are constantly bombarded from all segments of our media with images of negativity and despair throughout the world. While these images and events often seem distant and frightening, they must serve as a reminder that no community, large or small, is immune to disaster. One positive result of such devastating occurrences as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina should be that communities like ours will become more close-knit, coming together to be proactive in ensuring that should tragedy strike our town, we will be ready.

Plans are afoot to help us prepare for such disasters and to increase security for our city. Attached is a list of steps your Oakland Commissioners will take in case of emergency. Additionally, it is the responsibility of each household to take the following common-sense precautions to help secure our community:

• Keep a reasonable supply of non-perishable foods and bottled/distilled water on hand, as well as a portable radio, flashlights, and extra batteries
• Devise an emergency evacuation route from your home and educate all family members of the plan. Inform family members of a meeting place outside the home in the event that the home becomes unsafe. Oakland’s churches should be considered a gathering point in such an instance.
• In the event of a natural disaster or other emergency, local utilities may be rendered useless. Cell phones, generators, and other forms of backup are essential.
• Contact your Commissioners if you are able to provide resources such as tractors, tools, front-end loaders, pickup trucks, and backup fuel in the event of an emergency
• Communication with your local leaders is essential. Commissioners will meet at the City Hall; secondary emergency gathering point is the Oakland Baptist Church.

In order to facilitate Emergency Preparedness, the Oakland City Commission has adopted the standards of the National Incident Management System (NIMS). In case of emergency in our area, the following protocol, established by the Oakland City Commission, should be adhered to by all residents:

• The City Hall will serve as command post. Commissioners will meet here initially to carry out necessary actions.
• In the event of emergency the Mayor will report to the Bowling Green/Warren County Emergency Management Office and await instruction/aid.
• Commissioner Eric Watt will serve as response team member north of the railroad tracks. He will canvass the area and report issues, needs, etc., to the Commission. Tim Hunt will do the same south of the railroad tracks.
• All Commissioners and interested residents to receive a training course to be provided at the City Hall. Please contact the Commission for more information.
• Exercises to be held in Bowling Green/Warren County; Mayor Mansfield will attend these. Drill scenarios may be enacted as well.

This list is by no means all-inclusive, but will serve as a starting point. If you would like more information or want to know how you can help, please attend a City Commission Meeting, or contact a member of the City Commission. Contact information for your Commissioners can be found at the bottom of this correspondence. Meetings are held the second Tuesday of every month at the Oakland City Hall.