TULSA COUNTY, Okla. — Broken Arrow and Owasso first responders are ready for severe weather.
“We upstaff across the board to make sure that every truck is filled with personnel,” said Owasso Fire Chief David Hurst.
The extra staff also fills their Owasso Disaster Response Unit fully stocked to handle immediate storm needs.
“It’s a rescue truck, a fire department rescue truck, with all the hand tools and power tools that we would need to respond to say a tornado,” said Chief Hurst.
Many Owasso homeowners are still recovering from April’s tornado. On May 19, there were still many roofs near 96th Street North and Garnett covered with tarps.
Owasso first responders aren’t the only ones monitoring conditions.
“For critical calls, debris and roadways, medical assistance, they have those folks on standby, and they’ll be ready to come in, if need be,” said Aaron McColloch.
Aaron McColloch, Director of Communications for the city of Broken Arrow, says both police and fire departments have extra staff ready to go. He says city maintenance teams are also paying close attention to those first responder vehicles.
“They’re prioritizing all that fire apparatus from fire trucks to our ambulances to police vehicles, the streets department, and their dump trucks, having them ready to go in case there is an emergency, and they need to clear roadways and that sort of thing,” said McColloch.
He says the city also tested all 50 + of its tornado sirens to ensure people outside are warned to get indoors.
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