When disaster strikes, the Caddo Nation Emergency Management team stands ready to respond. Led by Emergency Manager Polly Edwards and Deputy EM Jerome McCalvin, alongside Emergency Management Response Officer Scott Anderson, this dedicated trio brings decades of experience and a passion for service to their critical roles protecting the Caddo people and surrounding communities.
"We meet people on the very worst day of their life," Edwards reflects. It's a sobering reality that drives her team's mission to be prepared for any crisis. From tornadoes and floods to wildfires and mass casualty events, Oklahoma faces a diverse array of natural and man-made threats. In fact, the state ranks third nationally in federally declared disasters, behind only Texas and California.
"Oklahoma is number one in those federally declared [disasters] by the diversity," McCalvin explains. "We have floods. We have tornadoes, we have ice storms, we have snow storms, we have had effects from hurricanes with the mass flooding come in, especially southeastern parts of the state."
This puts the Caddo Nation and surrounding Caddo County squarely in harm's way. "Caddo County in Oklahoma is the county number one in the total number of declarations by county that have been done by the governor for federal disaster," McCalvin notes. In the eighteen years that EM Polly Edwards has served the Caddo Nation as the creator
Building a Resilient Nation
Faced with these daunting statistics, Edwards, McCalvin, and Anderson have made it their mission to build a robust emergency management program from the ground up. When Edwards took on the role in 2007, the Nation had virtually no emergency preparedness infrastructure in place.
"When I came here, we had nothing at all," she recalls. "So everything for emergency management we have here, I've built from the ground up, because we had no program whatsoever."
Over the past 17 years, Edwards has leveraged her expertise in environmental protection and grant writing to secure critical funding and resources. From emergency response trailers and communications equipment to a state-of-the-art mobile shelter system, she has methodically assembled the tools needed to protect the Caddo people.
One of her proudest achievements was securing a grant to install over 200 tornado shelters for tribal members. "I wrote a half a million dollar grant for that," Edwards shares. "208 tornado shelters. In six months we put the first one in beginning of September, the last one in the last day of February."
This hands-on approach and relentless drive to improve preparedness exemplifies the team's ethos. As McCalvin puts it, their focus is on the "LIP" - Lives, Incident stability, and Property preservation.
"Of course, most of all is at least alive," he emphasizes. "We don't want to lose people, but being able to have these response teams, but also being able to [do] emergency management things that we're doing is we're trying - we want people to be prepared to not become a statistic."
Man's Best Friend in Emergency Response
Adding another layer to the team's capabilities is Scott Anderson, the Caddo Nation Emergency Management Officer. Anderson brings a unique asset to the team: two highly trained search and rescue dogs. These canine heroes play a crucial role in locating missing persons during disasters or other emergencies.
"Our search and rescue dogs are an invaluable resource," Anderson explains. "They can cover large areas quickly and access spaces that might be difficult or dangerous for human rescuers. In a disaster situation, every minute counts, and these dogs can make the difference between life and death."
Anderson's dedication to his canine partners extends far beyond the emergency scene. As their primary caretaker, he ensures they receive ongoing training, proper nutrition, and the care they need to perform at their best when duty calls.
"These dogs aren't just tools – they're part of our team, part of our family," Anderson says. "The bond between a handler and their search and rescue dog is incredibly strong. We trust each other with our lives."
A Culture of Preparedness
Central to their strategy is cultivating a culture of preparedness within the Caddo Nation and surrounding communities. The team regularly distributes emergency kits, conducts training sessions, and participates in preparedness events to equip tribal members with potentially life-saving knowledge and supplies.
"We've given out flashlights, we've given out special emergency kits for your car," Edwards shares. "We always try to come up with something that people should have and need - emergency kits, either for their car or for their home."
But perhaps their most ambitious initiative is the upcoming Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training program. This intensive course, funded by the Oklahoma Department of Homeland Security, will empower community members to support professional first responders during large-scale emergencies.
"What it is, is to help create a volunteer emergency response team that can be an assistant to your area responders like the fire, police, the ambulance," McCalvin explains. "There are times when you have a big major disaster, these folks can be trained to help do first aid medical care. They can be taught how to use a fire extinguisher and do put-outs. They're taught how to do search and rescue."
The comprehensive training covers everything from disaster medical operations to light search and rescue, providing graduates with a well-rounded skill set to support their communities in times of crisis. And importantly, these volunteer teams can be deployed anywhere in Oklahoma to assist other tribes and communities in need.
"This team can be called and go anywhere in the state," McCalvin notes. "They could go up to any other tribe, any other community."
For Edwards, McCalvin, and Anderson, this emphasis on mutual aid and cooperation is at the heart of effective emergency management. They've cultivated strong partnerships with surrounding jurisdictions, state agencies, and non-governmental organizations to ensure a coordinated response when disaster strikes.
"Good partners make good neighbors," Edwards asserts. "And they respond to the Caddo Nation because they know who the Caddo Nation is."
This collaborative approach has paid dividends during past emergencies. Edwards recalls how these partnerships proved invaluable during the devastating 2013 Moore tornado:
"I was the planning chief during the last - it's 2013 Moore tornado. I helped with the planning in the distribution warehouse for sending out all the - just the donations that came in. And we accepted in the - the stuff that came in from donations. And then we turned around and distributed it out. And I did the planning for it."
A Legacy of Service
For Edwards, McCalvin, and Anderson, their work in emergency management is more than just a job - it's a calling deeply rooted in Caddo cultural values and traditions.
"This goes back and brings all the cultures, that brings all the traditions," McCalvin reflects. "That's all that code, that song is - you know, the lyrics are our elders and our leaders. That was what they're all about was the notion about the people. That's where we want to get back to."
Edwards echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the team's commitment to serving all residents within Caddo jurisdiction, regardless of tribal affiliation:
"If we can, you know, be a good neighbor, and that's what emergency management does. It's a good neighbor. 'Cuz tornadoes don't know jurisdictional lines, right? It hits the - it hits the person next to you just as hard as it hits you. And if you can't be a good neighbor, then where do you live?"
This inclusive approach reflects the team's holistic view of community resilience. As Edwards puts it: "We should care for all our neighbors in there, and not handpick whether they're Kiowa, white, Mexican - we should care for everyone."
Innovating for the Future
As the threats facing the Caddo Nation evolve, so too does the emergency management team's toolkit. One of their most impressive recent acquisitions is a state-of-the-art mobile shelter system secured through a Tribal Homeland Security grant.
"It's a 20 by 30 pop-up tent," Edwards explains proudly. "It goes up - two people can put it up, one person can put it up, and five minutes, it's up. It is able to be deployed in five minutes."
This versatile shelter comes equipped with air conditioning, heating, LED lighting, and dual generators. It can be configured for various uses, from medical triage to drive-through testing sites.
"We actually use it down here to do the vaccination clinic for like the flu clinic. And also for COVID testing," Edwards notes. "We take out the floor, roll it up, and cars can drive straight through it."
Innovations like these showcase the team's forward-thinking approach and commitment to staying ahead of emerging threats. They're constantly seeking new ways to enhance their capabilities and better serve the Caddo people.
A Vision for a Mighty Nation
Underlying all of their efforts is a profound dedication to the Caddo Nation and its people. Edwards, McCalvin, and Anderson see their work as part of a larger mission to restore the tribe to a position of strength and prominence.
"Our tribal chairman, Bobby Gonzalez, one of the things he challenged to put before us back last year was that the desire that he had as a chairman was to make the Caddo Nation once again, a mighty nation, a nation that's recognized," McCalvin shares.
This vision drives the emergency management team to continually push boundaries and strive for excellence in all they do. Their goal is nothing less than to make the Caddo Nation a model of resilience and preparedness for tribes across the country.
"I want people to talk about the Caddo Nation," McCalvin declares passionately. "Hey, look where they were, look where we can - look, they're progressing. They're moving forward. And I want our folks to see that and to know that we haven't forgot - that that hasn't been forgotten, that we're revitalized, that we'll not let that die."
For Edwards, McCalvin, and Anderson, this means not just responding to crises, but proactively working to build a stronger, more resilient community every single day. It's a commitment they carry with them in everything they do.
"That's what drives us to what we do every day," McCalvin reflects. "Based on this what we're doing. You know, that's my guess what? But that's just - that's that's -"
His voice trails off, but the sentiment is clear. For the Caddo Nation Emergency Management team, their work is more than just a job - it's a sacred duty to protect and empower their people. Through their tireless efforts and innovative approaches, they're not just preparing for disasters - they're helping to shape a brighter future for the entire Caddo Nation.
As Edwards puts it simply but powerfully: "We want it to be used." Whether it's their state-of-the-art shelter, their emergency response capabilities, or the knowledge and skills they impart to community members, the team is determined to make every resource count in service of their people.
In a world of increasing uncertainty, the Caddo Nation can rest assured that they have dedicated guardians watching over them, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. Edwards, McCalvin, Anderson, and their growing team of trained volunteers – including the four-legged heroes – stand as a testament to the resilience and strength of the Caddo people - a mighty nation indeed.
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