The chiefs’ message was clear: In times of crisis it’s crucial that first responders are on the same page to ensure to best possible outcome.

Chief Charles Husted of the Sedona Police Department and Chief Jon Trautwein of the Sedona Fire District teamed up on Tuesday, Oct. 13, to discuss the need to update the city’s emergency plan with Sedona City Council. Both chiefs started in 2019 and came to Sedona after serving for more than 30 years in California.

The city of Sedona has an existing Disaster Preparedness Plan, however, staff proposes updating that plan to ensure that it is up to date and consistent with the Yavapai County Emergency Management Plan. In addi­tion to updating the plan, city staff is putting together plans with SFD, Yavapai and Coconino counties, and other stakeholders to regu­larly organize exercises to practice various scenarios that will ensure readiness for real emergencies.

The last draft of the plan was updated in 2013 though some of the 13 sections have been modified since.

“We all have some roles to play when it comes to a disaster,” City Manager Justin Clifton said. “For the most part, things esca­late pretty quickly, like fires, earthquakes and hurricanes.”

Generally speaking, Clifton said the federal government handles aspects of a natural disaster or incidents, states handle a part and then states delegate down to counties. All coun­ties have an emergency management division but most smaller cities do not. This is why most disasters or incidents are quickly kicked up to the county level.

“We want to be prepared and have a current plan and practice that plan,” Clifton said.

Husted said one of the first things Clifton requested after his hiring was to look at the city’s emergency plan binder and see where updates could be made.

“It has been this hot potato for a while and it needs to be updated,” Husted said. “We have a plan, and there isn’t anything bad in the plan, it just needs to be updated to current federal standards.”

Husted said the coun­ties, specifically Yavapai, have been very helpful when providing the city a template for an updated plan. Yavapai County give a template for Cottonwood to use two years ago. He said the goal is to create an all-hazards plan when it comes to incidents on a smaller scale and how to incorporate that plan for larger-scale emergencies.

“We have agreed that if anything occurs here, it’s immediately going to be a unified command,” Husted said. “You’ll imme­diately have police and fire resources that are tasked to deal with whatever the inci­dent may be.”

Husted also said the two departments are working on a joint incident action plan that will be in place for annual events in Sedona like Wine Fest, Oktoberfest and Run Sedona.

“These are large-scale events where something serious or sinister could happen,” he said. “How do we prepare for that? What’s the incident action plan? Each year those events aren’t going to be much different so we can learn from the prior events.”

Trautwein said there is never a bad time for a community to update its emergency plan. And because of the current pandemic, many will defi­nitely need updating.

“Once you get a good plan with all the working components then you start teaching it,” Trautwein said. “Now you take that plan and get staff to under­stand it and how to apply it. The final step is applying it in the field.”