GREENFIELD — It started with a sound clip.
They heard the roar that could only accompany the earth shaking, the sounds of crumbling and cracking. A video offered evidence of the quake — a home that had been battered and destroyed, with furniture tossed around and shelves tipped over, their contents strewn everywhere.
Then they got work, asking and answering the questions they’ll need to work through if an earthquake of this magnitude occurred locally.
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Members of the Hancock County COAD, or Community Organizations Active in Disasters — an organization made up of community stakeholders dedicated to streamlining aid in a crisis situation — met recently for a tabletop exercise to talk through emergency response techniques for hypothetical disasters.
It’s a way for the community’s leaders to stay prepared, COAD leaders say. Practicing before a disaster strikes will only ensure the response in a real disaster is smoother, faster and better.
Jim Peters, the COAD’s director, led the exercise recently at the Hancock County Emergency Operations Center, bringing together local law enforcement, state and local government leaders and representatives from the American Red Cross, Hancock County Emergency Management and Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
Earthquakes aren’t necessarily common in Indiana; but there are a few fault lines that run through the state that could shift at any moment, Peters told the crowd.
He then asked them to rattle off some of the issues that would become immediately apparent after an earthquake in Hancock County, and each person popped off with an example that revealed their area of expertise.
People would most likely be injured, even killed, and first-responders with medical proficiency would need to start search-and-rescue efforts as quickly as possible, said Coy Turner, a member of the National Guard Reserves.
Bridges might collapse, roadways might crack, and water mains might break, Greenfield Mayor Chuck Fewell said, reminding those gathered of his knowledge of local infrastructure.
Maj. Matt Holland, the deputy chief of the Greenfield Police Department, pointed out that traffic lights would probably be affected. The outages would cause traffic-flow problems across the county.
Then they talked through which agency, department or organization would handle addresses those issues.
Assembling community leaders for discussions like these is important because it brings an array of perspectives to the planning process, Peters said, adding he’s always pleased with the cooperation the COAD gets from the various groups it asks to participate in training sessions.
In the coming months, COAD members plan to hold additional exercises and get the word out about their efforts to other community stakeholders, nonprofit leaders and business owners to see if those groups are willing to lend a hand when disaster strikes.