The community of Olney, Illinois doesn’t sound too happy about the emergency preparedness plans of the mayor’s office. At issue is the city’s requirement to comply with certain federal regulations, in order to qualify for federal money for emergency preparedness. The Olney Daily Mail reports:
Comments from those in attendance centered on issues such as how the city would enforce a curfew or evacuation during an emergency or disaster, the centralization of power in such an event, how an emergency or disaster would be defined, and what some saw as intrusive government, specifically concerning the city’s need to comply with National Incident Management System (NIMS) regulations.
Many of the citizens in Olney are worried about the language in the proposal, which would allow the city to instate martial law curfews, and to confiscate firearms, ammunition, fuel and other supplies. If you’re concerned about these things as well, you should find out about emergency preparedness in your own community. Find out if the emergency plans are compliant with NIMS regulations. If your city is receiving federal emergency preparedness funds, it’s likely that these plans are already in place. It’s better to know these things ahead of time. It won’t matter how prepared you are for an emergency, if government officials come knocking on your door in a crisis in order to confiscate all of your supplies.