26 October 2005

Sebelius urges coordinated disaster preparations
Governor Sebelius calls for Kansas and Missouri to conduct joint review of emergency plans

One month after ordering a review of Kansas’ emergency preparedness plans, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius is asking Missouri Governor Matt Blunt to join in an effort to improve both states’ emergency response capabilities.

“The responses to the recent hurricanes along the Gulf Coast demonstrated the difficulties in evacuating and caring for the most vulnerable of citizens – individuals without transportation, senior citizens and those with special needs. That’s why I ordered a review of our emergency plans to ensure we can help our neighbors in need. But a major disaster likely wouldn’t stay on one side of the state line or another, so our emergency preparations should reflect that,” Governor Sebelius said.

In a letter to Governor Blunt, Governor Sebelius proposed a joint review of emergency response plans for both state governments, and for communities along the Kansas and Missouri border. The review would also include the Mid-America Regional Council, which has extensive experience in coordinating cross-border initiatives in the Kansas City area.

“I firmly believe we must take the experiences and lessons drawn from the hurricanes and use them to improve our ability to work together in protecting all our citizens from major disasters. That includes coordinating with local first responders, and across county and state lines,” Governor Sebelius said.

Governor Sebelius called for the review to place particular emphasis on alerting and responding to the needs of those individuals who will require additional or special assistance during an evacuation. These would include the elderly, individuals without transportation, and individuals in adult care facilities, schools and hospitals.