Houston Medical Center receives Storm Ready Certification

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/ WMGT) – We’re in the time of the year when severe weather can happen at any moment. In the past 3-years, tornadoes and even a tropical storm have moved through Middle Georgia.

Many of us are getting severe weather emergency kits ready for our homes. Local hospitals are also taking the steps to ensure safety when disaster strikes.

“I think there’s a certain level of public safety and expectation that’s there,” David Nadler a meteorologist with the National Weather Service said. “Especially when we’re talking about medical facilities. This just takes it to another level.”

The National Weather Service presented Houston Medical Center with the storm ready certification.

“We decided we need more tools to assist us to respond to weather related events,” Houston MedicalCare Director of EMS, David Borghelli said.

Houston Medical Center now has the forecasting tools they need for when disaster hits.

“Whether there’s a storm coming, or how close it’s going to be to one of our facilities, how should we respond to it, and after how to clean up,” Borghelli said.

To obtain the certification, there’s needs to a 24-hour point of operation and communication.

“It’s not just like looking at your phone and like, ‘oh there’s a storm coming.’ It’s being prepared 24 hours a day 7 days a week and knowing where to go to get the information that you need and then how do you respond to that. how do you push that out to the people who may not know as much as you do,” Nadler said.

“It’s one thing to respond to emergencies during business hours on a Wednesday. It’s another thing to respond at 3 a.m on a Sunday,” Borghelli said.

Not only can medical entities get the Storm Ready Certification, but airports can, too.