By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Brad Gilbert will never forget the day.
“June 5, 2010, at 11:16 in the evening,” he said. “It was the big one.”
Gilbert has been responding to emergencies in Wood County now for more than 12 years. But that one – the Lake Township tornado – was the worst.
“For EMA directors, we know it’s a matter of when, not if,” he said. “We only see those types of tornadoes every 50 to 60 years.”
And it just happened to be on his shift.
Gilbert announced this past week that he is retiring from this job as Wood County Emergency Management Agency director at the end of March. He has already outlived the terms of many EMA directors in the state, who average 7.5 years in the job.
“The job itself I continue to love. It’s the 24/7, it’s the phone calls at all hours,” Gilbert said.
When storms roll in, Gilbert has to be ready to roll out.
The Lake Township tornado was the worst incident during his time as EMA director. Seven people were killed, more than 30 injured, and many homes and businesses were destroyed.
“It’s an emotional thing. No one wants people to die on your watch,” he said.
As EMA director, Gilbert has dealt with many crises.
There was the train derailment that spilled diesel fuel. “Those are always challenging.”
There were two pipeline leaks – one spilling oil into Rocky Ford Creek near Cygnet, and the other leaking propane in Middleton Township prompting an evacuation.
There’s been plenty of flooding, especially in the Grand Rapids and Pemberville areas along rivers.
“We’ve made a lot of gains on information documenting, so we know what to expect at certain water levels,” Gilbert said.
“Flooding is tough because it really impacts people for a long time period,” he said.
And then there have been countless incidents of straightline winds and small tornadoes wreaking havoc. Gilbert is responsible for assessing damage from storms to see if the area qualifies for outside government assistance.
Gilbert is accustomed to coming into people’s lives at low points.
“Usually they are experiencing some of the worst things of their lives,” he said.
Yet, he loves the job – the interaction with first responders, elected officials and the public.
“We are trying to build collaboration and cooperation across the county,” before an emergency occurs, he said. “That’s the highlight of this job.”
Gilbert has focused much of his time on training others to help themselves – whether that’s local fire departments responding to hazardous material calls or the public preparing for bad weather.
If storms hit and the electricity goes out, Gilbert wants people to be stocked up in their homes.
“Our goal is to always keep them in their homes whenever possible,” he said. “We want to help people help themselves.”
But there are, of course, times when disaster strikes and the EMA will be there – for the long haul. After the Lake Township tornado struck, Gilbert and his office staff were there for response and recovery.
“We stayed up in Lake Township for two weeks straight, getting the community back on its feet,” he said.
Then for another year, the EMA continued to help with the recovery, assisting with insurance claims and dispersing donations.
“That stuff tends to go on for a long time,” Gilbert said.
The tornado taught Gilbert some important lessons for disaster response.
“A disaster is much more emotional to local officials and people responding than we ever imagined,” he said.
While local officials need to be involved, outside assistance should also be brought in, he said. And there is no shortage of people who want to help in this region.
“We live in the Midwest – everyone wants to help,” he said – whether its neighboring fire departments or individuals. “It becomes a matter of managing all that help. It’s nice to know when something big happens, those resources are available.”
When Gilbert came to the EMA office, he was already acquainted with handling emergencies. He worked briefly doing weather forecasts for Channel 11, and he served on the Harris-Elmore fire and EMS departments.
He recalled his dad, who worked at ODOT for 33 years, telling him that public service can be incredibly rewarding.
“You’ll never be wealthy, but you’ll get so much more satisfaction helping people,” Gilbert was told.
The EMA position was the “perfect storm” for Gilbert, combining his love for meteorology, fire and EMS service.
And Gilbert has performed the job very well, said Jeff Klein, deputy director of the EMA office.
“I think he’s really engaged the public in emergency preparedness,” Klein said. The office has focused on helping people plan ahead. “You need to be self-reliant for a period of time” before emergency responders get there in some weather conditions.
“He’s been very good at bringing people together,” he said of Gilbert. “If something happens, we all have to work together.” So building those relationships before a disaster helps.
“Everybody in the state knows him – and that says a lot,” Klein said of Gilbert’s reputation among EMA directors.
Gilbert isn’t sure what he will do after retirement, though he knows it will be “something a little slower paced.” Something where he doesn’t have to cancel personal plans when storms are approaching.
But until then, he’s on guard. On Thursday, he was checking weather forecasts and worrying about ground saturation levels.
“I’m considering putting out some information this weekend about possible flooding,” he said. On the job 24/7, at least for another few months.
