Eight community organizations joined the Rockwall County Office of Emergency Management on Saturday, Aug. 8, to rehearse standing up a one-stop disaster recovery center at the Rockwall County Courthouse Annex, 1101 E. Yellow Jacket Lane.
The Rockwall Ready open house, which ran from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., doubled as a live drill for what emergency officials call a Multi-Agency Resource Center, or MARC. In a real disaster, a MARC brings nonprofits, faith groups and government agencies under one roof so affected residents can access food assistance, counseling, tool loans and other recovery services in a single visit rather than navigating multiple offices across the county.
The drill practiced that model.
"This event served two purposes," Emergency Management Coordinator Jarod Rosson said in the county's official recap. "First, it allowed residents to learn about and connect with community organizations involved in disaster response. Second, it was an exercise to practice opening a Multi-Agency Resource Center."
The exercise walked participants through the same setup they would follow after a tornado, flood or major storm in Rockwall County.
Organizations that staffed the Aug. 8 drill included ToolBank USA, which operates a mobile tool-lending program out of its Dallas hub and can equip thousands of volunteers with hand tools, power tools and protective gear at no cost; the Rockwall Amateur Radio Club; Rockwall County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT); Dignity Memorial; Grainger; JustServe North Texas; Meals on Wheels Senior Services in Rockwall County; and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Rockwall Ready is the coalition that ties these groups together. The network coordinates resources before, during and after disasters alongside the county's emergency management office.
As we reported July 31, the pre-event announcement listed 10 participating organizations. The final roster shifted slightly, with three groups dropping off and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints added.
How to get involved
Organizations that want to join Rockwall Ready can contact Rosson at [email protected] or 972-204-7080. No date has been announced for the next drill or community event.
