From storm shelters to crisis interventions: TFD remains prepared for safety challenges

With spring weather already bringing storms to the region, the Tulsa Fire Department is urging residents to stay prepared for severe weather and other seasonal safety concerns.

One of the first reminders this season ties into the recent time change.

"Hopefully, everybody changed their clocks and didn’t miss work," said Andy Little, Public Information Officer with the Tulsa Fire Department. "We did lose an hour, and so we always remind people that whenever you move those clocks forward, it’s time to check your smoke alarms. Thankfully, now the alarms we have are 10-year battery life, so you don’t have to always change those batteries. And if you have one that you have to change the battery, it might be time for a new one."

Little also reminded drivers to be extra vigilant in the mornings with increased darkness due to daylight saving time.

"We always have accidents at stop signs and crossings because we don’t have as much light," he said. "So when you’re out driving, you have to be super careful. Those kiddos going to school, those are just accidents we can’t take back, so we want to be super careful."

Tornado Season Preparedness

As tornado season approaches, Little emphasized the importance of registering storm shelters with the City of Tulsa.

"Go to just cityoftulsa.org, and in the search bar, you can type in ‘storm shelter,’ and immediately, the first thing that pops up is storm shelter registration," Little said. "Super easy. You put your information in, and there’s just a box. You put your finger down, and it marks your GPS and locates that for you."

This system is crucial during large-scale storms where heavy debris may cover storm shelters.

"We have a mapping system that allows us to see where all of those storm shelters are and go check on those people," he said.

Little also stressed the importance of communicating shelter plans with family members.

"We need to tell our family and friends if we have these in our home. So like, 'If you don’t hear from me after a storm, I might be stuck in this safe place. So please call 911, have someone come check on me,'" he said.

He advised residents to stock storm shelters or safe rooms with essential supplies, including water, food, medications, batteries, and a charged cell phone.

Emergency Sirens and Alerts

The Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency operates approximately 170 emergency sirens across the city, which are tested weekly.

"Those are designed to alert you if you’re outside, and many people think those are warnings for when you’re in your home, and that’s not really the case," Little said. "It’s important to familiarize yourself with those sirens so you know what they mean. There are multiple different ones. That long, steady tone that lasts three minutes is a tornado warning, and there’s a varying tone that is a flood warning."

He recommended that families teach children what the sirens mean so they know how to respond in an emergency.

Crisis Intervention Training for First Responders

This week, Tulsa firefighters and first responders are undergoing specialized crisis intervention training to address mental health and homelessness challenges in the city.

"It’s no secret that all over the country, we’re dealing with homelessness, mental health, and substance abuse issues," Little said. "TFD is hosting a class this week to improve the skills of not only firefighters but also folks from EMSA on how to de-escalate some of those mental health situations."

The training includes input from mental health professionals and focuses on proactive care.

"We can actually effectively give them the care that they need instead of a potential situation where someone’s injured, they go to jail, and we’re not really fixing the problem," he said.

The final day of training will include skill evaluations and interactive exercises.

Firefighter Recruitment Ongoing

The Tulsa Fire Department is still looking for new firefighter candidates and currently has an academy in progress.

"Testing is still open. It’s filling up very quickly, but if you’re interested in a career with the Tulsa Fire Department, I suggest you call 918-596-7427," Little said. "You can sign your name up to take that test, get yourself in the process. We are planning, hopefully for an academy in August, but if that does not come through, it will probably be in February."

With storm season approaching, Little reminded residents to stay weather-aware and take necessary precautions to stay safe.