by Karen Lee Scott
Staff Writer

Only 17 percent of Tooele County residents don’t think they would be notified quickly in the case of a chemical emergency, according to a recent survey done by Innovative Emergency Management, Inc.

However, the remaining 83 percent of those surveyed (809 people) showed high confidence that they would be notified rapidly in case of a chemical emergency at Deseret Chemical Depot (DCD).

“Many residents know they can rely on emergency officials to warn them of an emergency quickly, through the outdoor sirens, tone alert radios, and the Emergency Alert System,” said Tooele County emergency management director Kari Sagers.

She said she was encouraged by the survey results. So too was Col. Peter Cooper, commander of Deseret Chemical Depot.

“The fact that so many people believe that the work we’re doing here doesn’t pose a risk to them is a testament to the abilities and efforts of the employees at the depot. We try very hard to make this a safe work environment and to eliminate the stockpile in a manner that is safe to the surrounding communities,” said Cooper.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency conduced the survey between December 8–12, 2003. They sought to measure the awareness and preparedness of people living within the emergency response zones around DCD. Residents of the Tooele Valley and Rush Valley were contacted.

According to a press release from the Tooele County Emergency Management (TCEM) team, the questionnaire was designed to check the success of the public outreach efforts being conducted by the various agencies related to DCD and identify knowledge gaps within the community.

Survey questions ranged from awareness and concern of the operations at DCD, to what steps people would take to evacuate or shelter-in-place in case of an emergency.

Ninety-two percent of those polled said they were aware of the chemical agents at DCD and 82 percent believed the destruction of those agents did not pose a significant risk to them.

Thirty-three percent of respondents said they were concerned about another chemical or hazardous materials emergency occurring in the county.

Concerning preparedness, 71 percent agreed they would be able to protect themselves and their family in the event of a chemical emergency either through evacuation or shelter-in-place.

Respondents were asked a series of “yes or no” questions to determine if they have complete family emergency plans in place. Most respondents (93 percent) were familiar with the names of roads in their areas that could be used for evacuation, and 71 percent have and know how to use a fire extinguisher, have an out-of-state telephone contact, and keep their vehicles gas tanks at least half full at all times.

TCEM said there are some emergency plan elements needing improvement. Only 62 percent of respondents have disaster supply kits, and even less (39 percent) have family meeting places outside their homes and outside their neighborhoods. Sixty-six percent of residents say they do not know in which emergency response zone they live (the Immediate Response Zone comprised of the Rush Valley, or the Protective Action Zone covering a portion of the Tooele Valley). Less than half of respondents (44 percent) are at least partially familiar with the emergency plan at their children’s school.

The public awareness survey has a + or – 3.4 percent margin of error, with a 95 percent confidence level.

e-mail: kscott@tooeletranscript.com