Richard Coghlan wears a half dozen hats.
The retired McComb fire chief is Pike County’s emergency manager/civil defense director, Homeland Security coordinator, fire coordinator, fire investigator, solid waste enforcement officer and county 911 committee chairman.
Speaking to the McComb Rotary Club Wednesday, Coghlan said he is sometimes asked what he learned from Hurricane Katrina 10 years ago.
“One thing I learned is I don’t want another hurricane,” he quipped.
However, Coghlan said that in the event of a similar storm in the future, Pike County is better prepared to meet such emergencies than it was in 2005.
Federal mitigation funds that came into the area after Katrina have resulted in an enhanced radio system that reaches state wide, the Pike County saferoom and considerable other assets, including more generators to use when electric power is disrupted.
He noted that because of its generators, McComb never lost its water supply after Katrina. Now, he said all the rural water associations in the county have generators.
Also, he noted, a number of residents who individually purchased generators after Katrina kept them.
Coghlan said emergency responders learned a lot during and after Katrina which will help in coordinating shelter and relief if it happens again.
So far, he observed, it appears this year will be a light hurricane season.
Rotarian Dr. Andy Watson, who assists Coghlan’s agency with emergency medical needs, said Pike County is fortunate to have a person of Coghlan’s ability, and the club gave him a standing ovation.
