Darcie Carpenter, Ph.D.

We all have a role to play in being prepared!

As all residents of the South Lake Tahoe area learned during June 2007 in the response to the Angora Fire, disasters can happen quickly and the amount of time we have to respond may be short. As a community, many people said they were not prepared or did not know what to do. The members of the Emergency Management Community Council saw this need and worked together to create something specific for our community. This guide has been created to help the local residents of the South Lake Tahoe area become more prepared for disasters. The topics and information contained in this guide is specific to the South Lake Tahoe Area. This guide was created by locals for locals. Please make the time to read this document, become informed, and be more prepared.

The South Lake Tahoe Emergency Management Community Council is a multi-disciplinary emergency responders in the Lake Tahoe Basin which includes El Dorado, Douglas and Alpine Counties. The council members collaborate for the community benefit to identify emergency management issues, develop plans based on the National Incident Management System (NIMS), enhanced communication and collaboration, carry out planning and exercises, and work with local agencies to develop a unified community approach to emergency management. This is done in cooperation with Barton HealthCare System, Lake Valley Fire District, South Lake Tahoe Fire, Tahoe-Douglas Fire District, Lake Tahoe Unified School District, El Dorado Public Health Department, Search and Rescue, local Law Enforcement and Dispatch, Air Ambulance Service, Environmental Management, Emergency Management Offices (local and state), Tahoe Amateur Radio Association (TARA), South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD), American Red Cross and other emergency responders. The EMCC also interfaces with other health care facilities that, although they do not receive emergency patients, may be impacted by disasters.

Sincerely,

Darcie Carpenter, Ph.D.
Chairman, Emergency Management Community Council
Emergency Management Coordinator/Facilities Safety Officer
Barton HealthCare System