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Norman honors emergency management volunteers; coordinator outlines teams and roles
Summary
The council recognized the city’s emergency management volunteer program; Emergency Management Coordinator David Bridal described programs, partner organizations and the program’s history and roles during events and disasters.
The Norman City Council on Aug. 26 recognized the city’s Emergency Management Division volunteer program and heard a public summary of the volunteers’ roles during community events and disasters.
Travis King, Norman’s fire chief, introduced the volunteers and said the program “really married up well” with the fire department’s historic volunteer spirit and that volunteers help run the emergency operations center, provide rehabilitation at incidents and support community events.
David Bridal, emergency management coordinator, told the council the volunteer program began administratively in 2004 and was formalized with the council in February 2005. “We documented in what we do here… we have averaged 4.3 events per year for the last 10 years under the Medical Reserve Corps program,” Bridal said, describing regular deployments to events and disasters.
Bridal outlined constituent volunteer groups and statewide partnerships used in Norman’s response work: the Norman Emergency Response Volunteer Team (CERT), the Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps administered through the State Department of Health and housed locally in Cleveland County, the South Canadian Amateur Radio Society (ham radio operators for storm spotting and communications), the La Leche League (maternal/child support), Envisioned Success for Veterans (veteran support during operations), and the Oklahoma Small Animal Response Team (a statewide asset for animal response). Bridal also described volunteers’ roles in helping families after residential fires and providing cooling or other resources at large events.
Why it matters: Bridal and King framed volunteers as a low-cost, community-based resource that expands the city’s capacity in disasters and large events and helps reach vulnerable populations through partnerships with Red Cross, Salvation Army and local congregations.
Council response and public notes Mayor Holman and council members thanked the volunteers and invited residents to engage with the program at public events; Bridal noted the volunteers will staff a cooling tent at the upcoming OU game and will participate in Norman Night Out.
For the record: the council’s recognition was ceremonial; no formal action or funding was taken during the meeting.
