Combine that with an emergency operation center substation and a management team to run it and officials believe they are on the right track in preparing the community for when disaster strikes.

During an emergency preparedness fair Dec. 8 at the Eagle River Valley Community Council meeting, officials from several municipal agencies and the American Red Cross discussed the predicament Chugiak-Eagle River could be in if a disaster - ranging from terrorism to an earthquake - were to strike anywhere in the Anchorage area.

That's a deviation from previous talks when Chugiak-Eagle River was lumped in with the rest of Anchorage.

Tracy Matthews, director of Anchorage's Emergency Operation Center, said the Anchorage EOC would serve Chugiak-Eagle River well during most emergencies. However, he said that might not be the case if damage occurs to the bridges and overpasses that separate Chugiak-Eagle River from Anchorage, some 15 miles away.

"We are establishing a proposed plan if we can't get here with the equipment we have (in Anchorage)," Matthews said. "We are trying to develop an emergency management strategy for Eagle River."

"We have a unique situation defined by our terrain, distance to the downtown hub and water supply," said Susan Brown, an instructor for the Anchorage Watchful, Alert and Ready for Emergencies program.

Matthews said the decision to have the EOP incorporate the uniqueness of Chugiak-Eagle River became apparent over the past two years after wildfire evacuation exercise and an earthquake drill were conducted here.

Creating an independent EOC and management team for the community is not a done deal, though Matthews thinks it will be.

"We're talking about 10 to 15 computers, some cell phones and radios," Matthews said. "We need to find a suitable place to do it."

John Rodda, Director of the Eagle River-Chugiak Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Development, said the municipality is trying to purchase the Valley River Center on Business Boulevard. One of many facilities that could find a home there could be an EOC, Rodda said.

Matthews said Chugiak-Eagle River, if separated from Anchorage, will likely have abundant manpower. But proper training of those people is key, he added.

"There are more police and firemen living on this side of the river than live on the other side," Matthews said. "We know we would have volunteers. We want to make sure we have the same level of training in Eagle River as in other places."

Heather Adams, the American Red Cross state preparedness manager, said her group has a plan for response to large-scale disasters, including a type of mobile shelter that has supplies for 50 people that can be set up in a large building. If bridges to Eagle River are out, the shelter could be loaded onto a cargo plane.

However, because such a shelter could accommodate only a small percentage of the 30,000-plus residents of Chugiak-Eagle River, Adams said families should develop their own emergency action plan that includes plenty of food, water and an alternative heat source.

Matthews said the Anchorage EOP update process will continue and more public meetings will be held. For more information, visit www.muni.org.

Reach the reporter at greg.dart@alaskastar.com

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, December 16, 2004.