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- Amanda Meneses
Saturday, April 20, 2024
Are you worried about how to stay informed during a weather emergency? The Office of Emergency Management has taken steps to help protect and keep employees informed when inclement weather strikes.
By installing weather radios throughout City facilities, they are providing a reliable source of communication that can operate without power or online access. With their ability to send out warnings and advisories, these radios are essential for those living in areas prone to severe weather and could help you get Weather Prepared.
Over the last several years, Southlake has had its share of weather events. In these instances, the Office of Emergency Management would utilize social media, Alert Southlake, and the Outdoor Warning Sirens to keep residents and employees safe and informed.
Over the next few weeks, OEM team members will install 30 NOAA Weather Radios throughout all City facilities. These radios operate within the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) national network, which encompasses a network of radio stations that broadcast continuous weather information directly from the nearest National Weather Service office, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“Many may ask why NOAA weather radios when technology has advanced so much?” Emergency Manager Amanda Meneses stated.
“Everyone should have multiple ways to receive weather information; no one way is all-inclusive. Today, many people receive these alerts on their phones with many different services, such as Alert Southlake, but how often do we silence our phones and walk away? These radios will always alert of warnings, much like an alarm clock, and deliver pertinent safety information such as directions to seek shelter,” said Meneses.
All radios are NOAA certified, come equipped with a battery back-up in the event we lose power and can transmit emergency message audio alerts for Tornado Watches and Warnings, Severe Thunderstorm Watches and Warnings, Flood Watches, Flash Flood Warnings, and many other inclement weather conditions.
The radios can also be utilized for non-weather-related emergency messages, such as Amber Alerts and Law Enforcement Warnings. Additionally, each radio can be customized to the local area for alerts that are relevant to our location.
In Meneses’ view, when it comes to weather, we should keep our communication options open.
“I hope we are setting the example for all to follow, we are not relying on a single method, and neither should residents,” said Meneses. “In Texas, the weather changes so quickly, and the storms have become much more violent; we have to have multiple ways to receive alerts to take the best safety actions.”
For more information about emergency management in Southlake, go to www.CityofSouthlake.com/EmergencyManagement.
To secure the safety and welfare of our families and community, it’s always essential to plan and prepare for emergencies. However, the vulnerable population that lives among us often faces unique challenges during an emergency, requiring them to need more assistance.
Earlier this week, Office of Emergency Management staff made 29 calls to residents who have registered with the STEAR program to check on their safety and well-being in these winter weather conditions.
To help ensure those with functional and access needs be identified by emergency responders, the State of Texas offers the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR) program.
STEAR is a secure registry that allows people with disabilities and other functional and access needs to provide detailed information about any assistance they may need during an emergency. The registry also helps first responders identify potential problems before they become emergencies, ensuring that individuals and families get the assistance they need when it matters most.
Who should register? This program is geared toward the following:
Through this registry, people needing additional assistance can enter their contact and medical information to be accessed by local emergency response teams.
“Since STEAR is an annual registration, while on the phone, we asked if they wanted to remain on the list; if so, we re-confirmed all of their information and special needs, and accommodations and added them to the 2023 State Registry list to make the process easier for them,” Emergency Manager, Amanda Meneses said.
Registering in STEAR DOES NOT guarantee that you will receive a specific service during an emergency. So, it’s essential to be proactive and have an individualized plan.
If you or someone you know has a disability or other functional or access needs, please consider signing up for STEAR today! You can find more information here:
Register online: https://stear.tdem.texas.gov/Form.aspx
Call 2-1-1
Call the Southlake Office of Emergency Management at (817) 748 -8903
To learn more about the City’s emergency management plans, please visit the Southlake Office of Emergency Management.
When it comes to preparedness the City of Southlake takes emergency management seriously. The City employs an Office of Emergency Management that assists the city, local businesses and the community throughout all phases of a disaster cycle: prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.
Emergency Manager Amanda Meneses provides strategic guidance and oversight to four program areas in the application of an all-hazards emergency management program. These programs include the emergency operations center, preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery. Meneses’ focus is on ensuring the City of Southlake can thrive in any emergency situation that the City may face. She works jointly with other city, state, federal and non-governmental entities in the execution of this mission.
Previously, Amanda served as a federal emergency telecommunicator supervisor in Washington D.C. In this role, she had primary responsibility of dispatching for several federal law enforcement and fire agencies around the Nation’s Capital, coordinated internal training and communications and served as a project manager for new and sensitive initiatives, including the roll-out of a new CAD system. Meneses also did emergency dispatch for Kitsap County, outside of Seattle, Washington prior to moving to the D.C. area.
Meneses started her career in the United States Navy, serving 14 years. Her main function was military police/working dog handler. Amanda has worked both drug and explosive trained canines. She served both stateside and in Europe, with three deployments to the Middle East. Amanda holds a bachelor’s degree in emergency management from Kaplan University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Columbia Southern University.
Emergency Management Specialist Isabella Uceda began her career at the City of Southlake as an intern with the Office of Emergency Management. Uceda is local to the area, graduating from Argyle High School in 2016. She then continued her education at the University of Arlington, starting in the nutrition program, then after finding her true passion, majored in public health.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in public health from the University of Texas at Arlington, Uceda came to work full-time at the City of Southlake. Her main focus is working on public education and becoming a continuity practitioner, allowing her to assist with the city-wide continuity of operations plan (COOP). She will also be working on the revitalization of a community emergency response team (CERT) among other emergency management practices to help improve the readiness and resiliency of the Southlake community.
Together, our Emergency Management team wants to make sure the City and the community are prepared and resilient in the event of an emergency.
For more information about emergency management in Southlake, go to www.CityofSouthlake.com/EmergencyManagement.