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Osage Nation Emergency Management adds seven new storm sirens for reservation communities

New sirens have been installed and tested in Barnsdall, Shidler, Fairfax, Pawhuska, and at the Hominy Industrial Park

Just in time for the 2022 severe storm season, the Osage Reservation has seven new storm sirens and five digital control boxes to support severe weather safety and alerts.

Osage Nation Emergency Management identified several areas on the reservation disadvantaged by inadequate storm siren coverage, according to a news release. The Southern Plains Tribal Health Board (SPTHB) provided funding to address these issues. 

In a statement, Emergency Management Director Bobby Tallchief said: “We want to recognize the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board for the grant opportunity as well as former Public Health Nurse Jaime Clark for initiating and pursuing this wonderful gift. We are blessed to be able to provide this extra layer of protection for our communities.”

The SPTHB is focused on eradicating environmental health issues within the Nation. According to its website, the Oklahoma City-based nonprofit’s approach is: “We address tribal public health at its core through a multi-component system, striving to improve public health issues through three key strategies: partnerships, advocacy and training & education. We are honored to foster and support all three strategies which come together to provide guidance and resources to our member tribes within Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma.”

The grant was initiated by concerns arising from the 2018 and 2019 tornadoes and floods. ON Emergency Management conducted a needs assessment utilizing historical data, subject matter experts, and actual real-world participation, according to the release. Their findings revealed that populated areas within the Osage Reservation possessed outdated, inoperable, or absent devices.

New sirens have been installed and tested in Barnsdall, Shidler, Fairfax, Pawhuska, and at the Hominy Industrial Park. Each siren was placed at strategic spots throughout the individual towns to optimize coverage. Decisions for placement were determined by Emergency Management and city personnel.

Osage Nation Emergency Management reduces the effects of man-made and natural disasters through planning, preparation, mitigation, and response to emergency events. More information can be found at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/services/emergency-management

Author

  • Benny Polacca

    Title: Senior Reporter

    Email: bpolacca@osagenation-nsn.gov

    Instagram: @bpolacca

    Topic Expertise: Government, Tribal Government, Community

    Languages spoken: English, basic knowledge of Spanish and French

    Benny Polacca (Hopi/ Havasupai/ Pima/ Tohono O’odham) started working at the Osage News in 2009 as a reporter in Pawhuska, Okla., where he’s covered various stories and events that impact the Osage Nation and Osage people. Those newspaper contributions cover a broad spectrum of topics and issues from tribal government matters to features. As a result, Polacca has gained an immeasurable amount of experience in covering Native American affairs, government issues and features so the Osage readership can be better informed about the tribal current affairs the newspaper covers.

    Polacca is part of the Osage News team that was awarded the Native American Journalists Association's Elias Boudinet Free Press Award in 2014 and has won numerous NAJA media awards, as well as awards from the Oklahoma Press Association and SPJ Oklahoma Pro Chapter, for storytelling coverage and photography.

    Polacca earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and also participated in the former American Indian Journalism Institute at the University of South Dakota where he was introduced to the basics of journalism and worked with seasoned journalists there and later at The Forum daily newspaper covering the Fargo, N.D. area where he worked as the weeknight reporter.

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Benny Polacca
Benny Polaccahttps://osagenews.org

Title: Senior Reporter

Email: bpolacca@osagenation-nsn.gov

Instagram: @bpolacca

Topic Expertise: Government, Tribal Government, Community

Languages spoken: English, basic knowledge of Spanish and French

Benny Polacca (Hopi/ Havasupai/ Pima/ Tohono O’odham) started working at the Osage News in 2009 as a reporter in Pawhuska, Okla., where he’s covered various stories and events that impact the Osage Nation and Osage people. Those newspaper contributions cover a broad spectrum of topics and issues from tribal government matters to features. As a result, Polacca has gained an immeasurable amount of experience in covering Native American affairs, government issues and features so the Osage readership can be better informed about the tribal current affairs the newspaper covers.

Polacca is part of the Osage News team that was awarded the Native American Journalists Association's Elias Boudinet Free Press Award in 2014 and has won numerous NAJA media awards, as well as awards from the Oklahoma Press Association and SPJ Oklahoma Pro Chapter, for storytelling coverage and photography.

Polacca earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and also participated in the former American Indian Journalism Institute at the University of South Dakota where he was introduced to the basics of journalism and worked with seasoned journalists there and later at The Forum daily newspaper covering the Fargo, N.D. area where he worked as the weeknight reporter.

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