Indiana seeks to learn emergency response lessons from Texas flood tragedy

Chicago Tribune

3 days ago

The recent flooding disaster in Texas is highlighting the need for Indiana's search and rescue units to enhance their team efforts so they can provide a better coordinated response to future emergency situations.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun recently stated that the Texas catastrophe is a 'wake-up call' to examine whether emergency response systems have any weaknesses, especially with the communication of emergency warnings and coordinating disaster response.
At least 136 people have died and thousands were forced from their homes by flooding that occurred the July 4 weekend along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas. A number of those who died were campers along the river, who were unaware of the impending flash flood danger.
Micah Bell, director of Porter County Search and Rescue, applauds the governor's call for better coordination of search and rescue teams in the state.
'We've all seen it. We know the potential is there for our state to go through some of the same events,' Bell said.
A storm, flood or tornado in Northwest Indiana could pose similar challenges to what happened in Texas.
Bell recently sent a letter to Braun, which supported his proposal, signed on behalf of his organization, NWI Search and Recovery, and eight other regional agencies in the state stretching from Lake Michigan to the Ohio River.
'Each of these teams represent decades of experience in search and rescue – from K-9 handling to ground searcher and search management. Members of our teams have experience on fire
departments, police departments, emergency management agencies, emergency medical services, FEMA task forces, military, and other backgrounds, all trained and available to
respond to emergencies large and small,' Bell's letter said.
'In prior years, many of us were part of Indiana's District Emergency Task Force systems, and would be able and willing to participate in such a system again should it be resurrected as part
of efforts to build a more robust emergency response within the state,' Bell wrote.
Bell said he believes it would be logical for the state's Homeland Security agency to oversee such a coordinated effort.
The floods in Texas and western North Carolina as a result of Hurricane Helene in late September 2024 point to the fact that the first responders who are closest to the event are critical to rescue efforts during the initial hours, Bell said.
'What we have seen in Texas and the Carolinas is that it takes a while for the resources (from the outside) to arrive,' Bell said.
Funding cuts at the federal level also emphasize the need for governments to be able to locally respond to disasters without having to depend on help from other states, Bell said.
Another benefit of improved coordination for large-scale events is, it would help in the response to smaller, local situations.
For example, Porter County Search and Rescue was called upon recently to help with a missing persons case in North Judson, Bell said.
Bell, who is a firefighter and public information officer at the Indiana Dunes National Park, said that most who serve with the Porter County Search and Rescue are volunteer firefighters. Porter Fire Chief Jay Craig Jr. and a Michigan City police officer have trained search and rescue dogs that are frequently called upon to help outside their jurisdictions.
The need is evident for areas within the state that don't have a rescue team of their own, Bell said.
'There is a need for communication and coordination. That is our number one goal right now,' Bell said.
Porter and Lake County residents can also be personally better informed about potentially hazardous situations through text messages sent via an app on their cellphone, Bell said.
Porter County offers a Smart911 app, while Lake County residents can access the information through the Community Alert System app known as Rave.