Conference to examine tornado relief
by Shannon Harrison, managing editor

    A year after a tornado swept through Tarrant County, NW Campus reflects on what was left in its wake during a conference next week.

    On March 28, 2000, a tornado struck Tarrant County, destroying neighborhoods and businesses. Multiple areas were affected: downtown Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Hurst and the neighborhoods of Linwood, Monticello and River Oaks.

    Even with federal assistance for the damaged areas, one year later some business owners and residents are still struggling to rebuild their lives and communities.

    The conference is scheduled Thursday, March 8, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. in B-118, on NW Campus.

    This conference will provide an in-depth look at the disaster in three phases: rescue, relief and recovery.

    Participants will hear from key rescue and relief professionals. Recovery, which is still taking place, will also be examined through the Tarrant County Tornado Recovery Program.

    The conference program will also feature break-out sessions on topics such as small business recovery, economic development issues, legal issues, public safety issues, effective coalitions, insurance issues, mental health and disasters, family disaster planning, outreach to the Hispanic community in a disaster, children’s responses to disaster and service learning.

    An optional lunch is provided for $6, during which Ralph McCloud, mayor pro tem city of Fort Worth, is a keynote speaker.

    The conference speakers include rescue specialist Keith Wells, assistant emergency management coordinator for Fort Worth; relief specialist John Roberts, Federal Emergency Management Association; and recovery Specialist Rachel Sandifer, director of Volunteer Organizations Active in a Disaster (VOAD).

    The break-out sessions are scheduled between 2 and 4 p.m.

    These sessions will be conducted by local businesses affected by the tornado. Participants include Tarrant County Bar Association, City of Fort Worth, Emergency Agencies of Tarrant County, Tarrant County College NW, American Red Cross, Tarrant County Tornado Recovery Program and VOAD.

    Some of the sessions will be translated into Spanish for the Hispanic Community.

    The Emergency Agencies of Tarrant County will sponsor an awards ceremony featuring Gloria Reeves, director of Emergency Response Group, and state Sen. Mike Moncrief, keynote speaker, 7-9 p.m.

    Sen, Moncrief, a life-long resident of Fort Worth, has been involved in public service for more then two decades. He has been successful in passing numerous pieces of legislation and has recently proposed legislation that addresses tenant’s “contract for deed” issues, which have impacted residents of Tarrant County affected by the tornado.

    Students and faculty who wish to attend the luncheon must make reservations by Thursday, March 1.

    For more information or to make reservations, contact Vesta Wheatley, NW director of student activities, at 817-515-7795.