Cape needs to plan for disaster

To the editor:

I guess the proper way to say this would be, "Ahem. Cough. Cough."

I really think Cape Girardeau needs to review its disaster preparedness soon. We can rest assured that FEMA will not be here to help us, so let's help ourselves.

The priority is area infrastructural integrity, local emergency medical services, law enforcement, hospitals, fire department and city engineers. We should get together, assess our risks and get working on plans.

You don't need me prodding you to push this idea. Others have had similar thoughts. Let us set the standard for preparedness. If they see it in the paper, local citizens may start thinking about the subject of disaster preparation. We obviously need to do it.

Do we have area shelters? How many people can they reasonably shelter? Do they have food and drinking water? Are the current deployments of emergency and law enforcement assets well-plotted, or tossed randomly throughout the city? What needs attention, how can we accomplish securing the safety of our people?

ANDREW HAZARD, Cape Girardeau