ROGERS COUNTY–Citizens needing law enforcement, fire department or ambulance emergency service should be prepared to provide dispatchers with information on known or potential flooding near the location of the emergency, officials said Saturday.
“We dispatch for more than a dozen agencies through our E911 Center. They know the roads in their districts, but those needing help will have the most accurate knowledge of which roads typically flood during major storms or which areas are currently underwater,” Mike Helm, Rogers County District 2 Commissioner, said.
“When our dispatchers ask for directions, callers should be prepared to provide any information possible about how best to reach the location of the emergency without encountering flood waters,” he added.
Kelly Deal, operations director of the Oologah-Talala Emergency Medical Services ambulance district (OTEMS), agreed:
“This is vital in getting help to those who need it as quickly as possible and in keeping emergency responders and their vehicles safe for that call and the calls that will follow.”
Deal noted that his service, which provides all Advanced Life Support (ALS) units, covers about one-third of Rogers County’s almost 700 square miles, including multiple lakes and rivers.
“There are areas prone to flooding in both the towns and large subdivisions, such as Oologah and Talala, and in the rural areas. Ambulances are big, but just like any other vehicle they are no match for onrushing water crossing a road at an unknown speed or depth,” he said.
Helm, Deal and other public officials and emergency service providers said the people who best know where there is an existing or potential flood danger are those who live in the immediate area and have either seen the water rise or know where flooding regularly occurs.
“We don’t know what the next few days will bring, but the worst-case forecasts indicate that flooded roads could become a major issue in getting help where it is needed in a timely fashion.
“Citizens can help by providing dispatchers with information on known flooding, flood-prone areas, and alternate routes to the location where help is needed that use roads less likely to be water covered,” they said.
Citizens can also help each other by calling neighbors if they know a particular route into an area is under water and what alternate route is still water-free.
“Oklahomans are known nationwide for working together when faced with emergencies. Our uncertain weather over the next few days provides a perfect opportunity to put that cooperation to effective use,” Helm and Deal concluded.
