Longmont Public Media produced and released a video interview on April 29 with a panel of local officials to talk about the way the City of Longmont handles disaster emergency response. The panel discussion included the voices of City Manager Harold Dominguez, Director of the Office of Emergency Management Deon Pfenning, Natural Resources Project Manager Jim Crick, Sandy Cedar, and Fire Chief Dan Higgins.
They discussed a global increase in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters, including fires, floods, and tornadoes. Longmont, specifically, faces risks of floods and wildfires. The panel discussed the 2013 flood, the Marshall Fire in Boulder, and the recent Berthoud grass fire. The City of Longmont uses an “all-hazards” approach, which means they prepare for a variety of potential scenarios, but stay flexible to respond to emerging threats and unforeseen events.
During the 2013 flood, there was a lack of bilingual communication, but the city now has designated translators and trained staff for internet updates. The public can access longmontcolorado.gov for emergency information, which will also be posted to social media. BOCO alerts may also be used and the Reachwell app can be used for bilingual alerts…