Photo By Christine Reinhardt | Members of the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency practice building a sandbag...... read more read more
Natural disasters don’t care about chain of command or what roles and responsibilities lie with which local, state or federal government agency. The destruction caused by natural disasters can happen anytime and anywhere. So, having coordinated preparedness plans at all levels of government is vital for effective response when these events inevitably occur.
On a sunny, temperate day in middle Missouri, dozens of emergency management personnel convened for a two-day event aimed at doing just this – discussing policy, operations, recovery and hands-on training for a variety of disaster scenarios. The Missouri State Emergency Management Agency hosted a regional coordinator meeting on Sept. 23 and 24 in Jefferson City, Missouri, during National Preparedness Month.
Mike Dulin, emergency management specialist with the Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attended the meeting. Dulin manages the district’s Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies Program and represented USACE at the regional coordinator meeting.
“USACE was invited because we play a critical role supporting states during major disaster declarations, especially during floods when state resources can quickly become exhausted,” said Dulin.
At the two-day event, Dulin and other Kansas City District staff provided instruction on flood-fight techniques, to include how to operate a sandbag machine and build rapid flood barriers like sandbag levees and ring levees. But USACE’s role during flood events goes way beyond filling sandbags. According to Dulin, before a flood event, USACE’s role is focused on preparedness.
“We coordinate with state and local responders, train our staff and our partners and make sure flood-fight supplies and materials are stocked and ready for rapid response,” he said.
During a flood event, USACE stands ready to provide local, state and tribal partners with assistance, which comes in two forms: technical and direct.
“Technical assistance is advising on engineering methods to ensure performance of flood risk management systems, inundation mapping and flood modeling,” said Dulin. “Direct assistance is providing supplies and equipment … or contracting for flood risk management projects.”
Lastly, after a flood event, USACE is primarily responsible for restoring damaged levee systems to their pre-flood condition through the Levee Rehabilitation Program, Dulin explained.
From providing training to levee rehabilitation, USACE plays a vital role before, during and after a flood event. While all stages of the flood-fight are important, close coordination between all levels of government and emergency responders is equally critical.
“From a public safety perspective, events like the regional coordinator meeting build readiness,” said Dulin. “We’re fortunate in the Kansas City District to have strong relationships with our state partners. Working together, understanding each other’s roles and combining our capabilities improves life safety and protects public infrastructure – our top priorities.”
For the Kansas City District’s area of responsibility, May and June are typically the months with the most rain. However, Dulin emphasized flooding can happen year-round, which is why it’s important for staff to participate in readiness training no matter what month it is.
“This training is vital because it gives responders the skills they need before the water rises,” said Dulin. “Training on a blue-sky day is always better than learning in the middle of a crisis.”
| Date Taken: | 09.26.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.26.2025 13:10 |
| Story ID: | 549417 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 12 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Blue-sky day training helps responders prepare for future flood events, by Christine Reinhardt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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