Emergency director learns from Ruidoso

Ruthann Kelly traveled to Lincoln County to help the emergency management teams any way she could during the South Fork and Salt wildfires in Ruidoso.

She came home with ideas for better preparing our part of the state for potential disaster.

"I've got so many notes on things that I want to change here on how we operate," said Kelly, the emergency management director for the city of Clovis and Curry County.

Kelly was in the Ruidoso area June 18-21 after the fires – they ultimately scorched more than 25,000 acres -- broke out June 17.

"A lot of what I did was work the night shift so that the local emergency manager could have a break," Kelly said.

She said she answered phone calls and shadowed the local planning section chief.

"There were smaller issues that I was able to kind of take away from somebody else doing a bigger job," Kelly said. "Overall, it was an opportunity for me to really learn some things that we don't do here."

Things like separating the Clovis call center from the planning section. Kelly said in Ruidoso, it was distracting because the two were in one area, which means people were trying to answer phone calls from concerned property owners and their families and friends while others were trying to discuss plans and operations at the same time.

Kelly also said emergency management workers were cramped in a small building in Ruidoso, as they are in Clovis' Emergency Operations Center. More space is needed in the event of a major emergency.

Justin Howalt, Clovis' city manager, said he played a role in getting Kelly to Ruidoso. He told The News he believes that when a New Mexico community is going through challenges, that it's important to help in whatever way possible.

"Not only did our emergency management and fire department provide assistance, but we also offered, if needed, the assistance of our police department and building safety department," Howalt said:

Because she stayed on the night shift, Kelly said she didn't get much sleep during her four days in Ruidoso.

"(I)t was just help where I needed to help and if I was tired, I'd get a nap for a couple of hours and then go right back to it," she said.

Kelly said the first night she was there was really quiet with not a lot of phone calls.

"I'm sitting there listening to the three other workers that were there with me; already two of them knew their house no longer was standing," she said.

"Emotionally and educationally, it was a learning experience. Because you don't even know what to say to somebody who has just lost everything," she said.