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Emergency Management chair outlines communication fixes, proposes STARLINK purchase
Summary
Dr. Brianna Wilson, chair of La Conner’s Emergency Management Commission, told the council the commission will finalize an after-action report on recent floods, pursue youth emergency training with schools and seek a STARLINK terminal for resilient emergency communications.
Dr. Brianna Wilson, chair of the town’s Emergency Management Commission, briefed the La Conner Town Council on lessons from winter flooding and steps to strengthen local emergency response.
Wilson said the commission is working with local schools to create a youth emergency-team certification and is developing a community emergency-planning insert to appear in the local paper. "We have agreed at the commission, to, to purchase a STARLINK for an emergency communication, Internet, and or phone service in case of power outage," she said, describing the device as a contingency for prolonged outages.
Why it matters: Councilors and staff said communication failures were a key shortcoming during the flood and that local solutions could reduce confusion in future events. Wilson said the commission will finalize action reports within the next month and deploy a survey to gather resident input on preferred communication channels.
Councilors praised the commission’s work and asked staff to coordinate outreach. Wilson said the group is also exploring alternate funding after a grant application for the youth training fell through. "We're also looking at other funding opportunities," she said.
The commission intends to present a finalized action plan to the council within about a month; the council did not take formal action during the meeting.
