No Plan is an Island: how emergency planning for Anderson Island involved the whole community. Anderson Island is a rural community in Pierce County with limited resources, minimal infrastructure, a large percentage of residents with access and functional needs, and a community eager to participate in emergency planning. Over the past year, Pierce County Emergency Management and a diverse group of local partners developed a robust evacuation and shelter-in-place plan for Anderson Island. In doing so, a planning model that fosters collaboration, coordination, and community involvement was also established.This presentation showcases the innovative approach taken by the planning team to address challenges by engaging non-traditional partners throughout the process.
Key partnership areas include:
• Coordinating Limited Resources
• Supporting Separated Children, Individuals, and Families
• Identifying Mass Care Sites and Transportation Resources
• Developing a Community Profile
• Strengthening Communication Capabilities
The presentation also offers evacuation and shelter-in-place strategies, key insights from exercising the plan, and an overview of the tools developed during the planning process, which can be adapted for planning in other communities.
What Will the Audience Learn:
The Anderson Island Evacuation and Shelter in Place plan demonstrates how the whole community can be involved in the planning process. Through this real-world example, the audience is encouraged to think out of the box about how diverse and unlikely partners can play a meaningful role in their emergency response plans. They will receive insight and strategies for engaging community partners and incorporating community input into emergency plans.
The success of Anderson Island’s plan has also prompted the development of a evacuation and shelter in place planning toolkit that integrates best practices and lessons learned into adaptable planning tools. The toolkit includes a plan template, a guide for developing community profiles, and additional resources for planning activities. Attendees will learn how these tools can be adapted for other programs, regardless of available resources.
Course Level: Beginner
About the Presenters
Norma Pancake is an Emergency Management Coordinator at the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management (PCDEM). She been a Duty Officer during various incidents… airplane crash onto Ketron Island, floods, land erosion slides, 2001 Nisqually earthquake, and wildland-urban interface fires. As the PCDEM liaison to Anderson Island, she is passionate about assisting citizens there be prepared for any hazard.
Alex Taylor is an Emergency Planner at the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management (PCDEM). Her current projects include evacuation planning, COOP, the CEMP, and supporting the access and functional needs (AFN) program. Alex has a background in public health emergency preparedness and non-profit emergency response and has worked in the EOC during the 2023 Central California floods and 2024 extreme weather events, serving in both mass care and planning roles. She is passionate about collaborating with diverse partners to develop inclusive response plans.