Rector grad finds career in emergency management

As a student at Clay County Central High School in Rector, Brandon Lawrence was active both at school and in the community. Lawrence, a 1996 CCC grad, was an Honor Student, a member of numerous clubs and organizations, as well as a three sport star for the Cougars, standing out in football, basketball and baseball.

In fact, Lawrence's ability on the gridiron was such that he earned a full tuition athletic scholarship to Arkansas Tech University in Russellville for his football prowess.

Now making his home in Littleton, Colo., Lawrence remains active, serving as the Broomfield County Emergency Management Coordinator. While helping others has always been a concern for the Rector native, he says his career is not something he planned.

"It's something I kind of fell into," Lawrence said. "I don't think this is something I could have ever predicted as a career for myself."

Once the wheels were set in motion, however, the career path opened quickly. The athletic scholar was finishing up a degree in biology with a full year of his scholarship still remaining. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lawrence decided to continue his education with a new program which was just coming into place: Emergency Management.

"I believe Arkansas Tech had one of the few EM programs in the country at that time," Lawrence said.

As Lawrence was completing the program, he earned the opportunity to do his Emergency Management internship for the state of Colorado, where his girlfriend and eventual wife, Kaci, lived. His experience in the still-new field, plus his current location, made him an obvious candidate for the coordinator position in the recently established county of Broomfield once his internship was completed.

The county sprang from the city of Broomfield, a growing suburb of Denver.

"It was one of those situations where I was in the right place at the right time," Lawrence said. "Everything just fell into place."

Lawrence said his position involved a lot of on-the-job learning, as the duties and responsibilities were being worked out in the new field. Beginning his job in August of 2001, Lawrence, along with the rest of the nation, was jarred two weeks later with the 9/11 attacks.

"With the attacks, the importance and involvement of Emergency Management grew through the rapid changes that took place as the country placed even greater importance on preparation and what needed to be done in emergency situations. Even though I had just started, I was really on the front-end of the field."

Already aware of the importance of his position, Lawrence continued working, gaining experience as the field grew. His efforts were vital during a blizzard and subsequent massive snowfronts during a two week period beginning March 26. Relying on his knowledge of procedure and past experiences, Lawrence ushered in measures which kept the residents of Broomfield safe from the deadly conditions caused by the waves of snow. First, his office encouraged local businesses and employers to close early when the blizzard approached. This helped clear the busy roadways and avoid congestion on the streets and roads before conditions took a turn for the worse. The other major step was to have evacuation points already established in the event drivers were caught out in the blizzard. Fortunately, the preparation worked well, and there was no need for evacuation.

"We came up with a plan and then did everything we could to set it in place when it was needed," Lawrence said. "One of the main things about Emergency Management is that you respond to past problems. You come up with countermeasures to emergencies that have already happened."

As part of his day-to-day duties, Lawrence is constantly evaluating and updating emergency preparation and response plans. His office is continually kept up-to-date with what measures may be needed should the unthinkable take place.

"One of our main areas is determining how to maintain the continuity of operation in the event of a large-scale threat. If some major crisis develops and the government is lost, we have to have a plan in place to recover a governing body. Again, that's something you really don't like to think about, but we have to be prepared in the event it happens."

These difficult tasks are not made any easier by current trends. Lawrence cites a "loss of the culture of preparedness" in America as whole, noting the decline of raising gardens and storing food, especially in metropolitan areas.

"Back in the old days, people were more prepared. They had gardens and all kinds of food and supplies put back. Now, most of the population relies on other sources like supermarkets or restaurants for food. It's just the way the culture changed. Hopefully, more people will become aware of this and start making more preparations."

Lawrence said individuals need to make plans to rely on their own supplies in case of an emergency. He said it would likely take three days for many households to receive assistance in the event of a large-scale emergency. As such, persons are encouraged to be prepared and able to survive for at least three days without outside assistance.

"In a disaster situation, everything is chaotic. It's everyone's responsibility to be as prepared as possible."

In his spare time, Lawrence enjoys spending time with his family. He and Kaci have three children: seven-year-old daughter Maddie; daughter Zoe, who is five, and their son Will, who is three. The family enjoys numerous outdoor activities including skiing, camping, hiking and rafting.

"We try to do as many things together as a family as we can. That's how my family was when I was growing up. I want my kids to experience as much of the smalltown life as possible. Part of that is by doing so many things together as a family."