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Teller County, Colorado • Volume 52, Issue 45
November 6, 2013
75 cents
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourtellercountynews.com
Every business in need of a disaster plan
A COMMUNITY EFFORT
Heading off disaster starts with the paperwork By Norma Engelberg Contributing writer
a collaboration of 22 library systems in Colorado. “With Marmot, it’s not just access to books on the shelves but to e-books and audios, for instance,” said Antonia KrupickaSmith, adult-services librarian. “So it’s going to be an increase in accessibility of resources and materials for all members of our community.” Marmot thrusts the district into a higher realm, at least for this month. “When we moved in here 10 years ago we thought the new library was the ultimate,” Knowles said. “And every year it’s gotten better. And now we’re taking another big step.” With the addition of Krupicka-Smith, the library will be a source of continuing education, with programs in science, technology and healthy living. “We are trying district’s two libraries will have 3 milto bring the community together, to lion items available through Marmot, get people excited about all the new opportunities and resources we have,” she said. As some lament the perceived passage from real books to e-books, Printed on recycled Knowles offers encouragement. “I don’t newsprint. Please think books will ever go away. There’s recycle this copy. nothing that can replace curling up with a good book in front of a fireplace,” she said. “Books are here to stay; we just
If Teller County business owners took only one suggestion away from Business Continuity Planning training offered at the Ute Pass Cultural Center on Oct. 30, it should have been: “Records, records, records.” “I can’t emphasize enough the importance of documentation,” said Steve Steed, director of the county’s Office of Emergency Management. The training session started off with a few words from Teller County Sheriff Mike Ensminger who said business continuity in the face of disaster is vital to the health and wellbeing of Teller County, adding, “I’ve been working with Steve to develop this plan; we have to stay on top of things 100 percent of the time.” Steed, in partnership with Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce President Debbie Miller and Brian Fleer, director of the Woodland Park Office of Economic Development, then introduced the subject of the Teller County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan to the group of about 15 people representing a variety of county businesses and organizations. The creation of a multi-hazard mitigation plan was mandated by the federal government, which required that the plan be updated every five years. County employees recently completed the update and then Steed used the plan’s conclusions and suggestion to create the “Ready Your Business: Business Continuity Planning Guidebook,” a “12-Point Program for Success” that is designed to be an easily updated living document for local business owners. “This isn’t rocket science; it’s common sense,” Steed said. “My goal today is to imbed this thought process into your mindsthat when you develop a business plan you should also consider disaster planning. Ask yourself ‘what happens to my business if there is a disaster or even a government shutdown?’” He pointed out that Teller County has had its share of disasters and near misses. For example, he said the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire could easily have moved into Teller County instead of El Paso County. He added that even though ultimately went east, its impact on Teller County at the time was huge and that the flooding in the burn scar area that closed U.S. 24 several times this summer is likely to reoccur for the foreseeable future and will continue to impact county businesses. “It’s important for businesses to stay in business,” Steed said. “Staying open offers a lot of opportunities. With the flooding that closed the highway keeping visitors here longer than they planned, you could be asking yourself how you can provide for their needs.” It was after making this point that Steed brought up the importance of record keeping, especially when seeking state or federal disaster assistance. “If you say you had this much loss you’re going to be asked to prove it,” he said. “You’ll need to justify how you came up with your loss estimates.” He suggested piling redundancy on top of redundancy, making hard copies of all important documents because hard copies “are always required when requesting (state or federal) aid,” keeping sets of copies off site as well as in a quick-to-grab Go Bag or box just in case the business is destroyed or has to be evacuated and using
Library continues on Page 20
Plan continues on Page 20
Anne Knowles, left, executive director of Rampart Library District, and Antonia Krupicka-Smith, adult-services librarian, are gearing up for the Woodland Park library’s 10th-anniversary celebration Nov. 16. Photo by Pat Hill
Library throws a party Community welcome to observe 10th anniversary By Pat Hill
phill@ourcoloradonews.com
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welve years after Woodland Park voters said a resounding “yes!” to a comprehensive library, including a funding stream for operations, the staff and board of trustees will observe the library’s 10th anniversary on Nov. 16. “This was a true community effort; the library would not be here without the efforts, input and contributions of everyone in this community,” said Anne Knowles, executive director of the Rampart Library District, which includes the library in Florissant. In the age of e-books and cheap books via the internet, this library remains a vital part of the community. “Our collection has more than doubled and our circulation has skyrocketed,” Knowles said. “We’re at capacity, pretty much, as far as space for our collection.” When it comes to keeping up with trends, the library is on target with 70,000 resources that include e-music, e-magazines and e-movies. “That’s a whole other area that has just opened up in the last few years,” Knowles said. The library also provides computer access, wireless connection and a range of online research data bases. By the end of November, users of the POSTAL ADDRESS