September 17, 2018 marked the tenth annual Lindon City Drill Down for Safety city-wide emergency communications drill. With close to 10,000 residents each year participating, Lindon City is a model for successful comprehensive preparedness initiatives between local emergency responders, faith-based organizations, political leaders and residents in a small city. Some of the benefits of exercising the city plan with the residents include clarifying roles, responsibilities and expectations of services during a disaster and creating the mechanisms for a detailed rapid assessment provided by citizens. The result is an increased resiliency for the city in the event of a disaster.
For 10 years, we have consistently had participation between 86%-89%.
NEW GOAL: In 2019, we aim to increase overall city participation by every resident to 90%.
To help us reach that goal, please report to your block captain at 6PM on Monday, September 16, 2019. If you do not know who your block captain is, you may self-report using the non-emergency police dispatch number: 801-229-7070.
History of the Lindon City, city-wide drill:
September 11, 2001 marked a pivotal day in history. The attacks on the United States were meant not only to cause death and destruction but also to create fear in our country. The point of terrorism is to terrorize, or in other words to make people feel afraid enough to change their normal course of action. Terrorists "win" when normal people choose not to get on a bus, not to go to a crowded game or shopping mall, and feel helpless enough to not stand up to the cowardice of small minded people who live their lives in the dark.
In 2009, the United States had a new FEMA administrator, one who is seen by Emergency Management Professionals as competent, sharp and absolutely connected to the real world of Emergency Management. Craig Fugate began his career as a volunteer firefighter, worked his way up in many capacities as a first responder and emergency manager. He was appointed by Florida Governor Jeb Bush to be the Director of Florida's Emergency Management before being appointed to head FEMA under President Obama. As the new Administrator of FEMA, Fugate advocated for Emergency Management to focus on being prepared at the local level and showing that everyone has a part to play during a disaster.
2009 was also the inaugural year for the Safe America Foundation's "Drill Down for Safety" initiative that took Craig Fugate's admonition one step further. Not only should the general population be prepared for a disaster by making plans and getting kits, but they should also practice their plans in order to be truly prepared. "Drill Down for Safety" encouraged businesses and communities across the nation to participate in a drill on September 11. The day was chosen deliberately because it is a day that Americans can show that not only are we not afraid, but that we are prepared for any disaster that comes our way.
The Lindon City drill serves many purposes. It allows the residents of the city the opportunity to practice their role in a disaster. Incredibly, the first two years of doing this drill, communication from the block/individual level, through the neighborhood and area levels, reached the city in just over two hours. In 2011 and 2012, we were able to get communication from the block to the city in under 2 hours. To put this into perspective, the first few hours after a real disaster is usually spent calling in off-duty personnel and getting ready to begin doing an assessment of the situation. We have the ability to quickly get life-saving information to the neighborhood and area leaders and to the city where much needed resources can be coordinated and sent to where they are most needed.
We continue to improve our abilities through the years with our annual drill and want to thank those who have helped our city to be more prepared to survive and quickly recover from a disaster.