
Staff photo.
Leland Rhudy, Mountain Brook Fire Department’s fire marshal, and Rozetha Burrow, Mountain Brook Police Department’s business liaison officer, are co-leading emergency preparedness training for employees at City Hall.
Mountain Brook Fire Marshal Leland Rhudy wants his peers to be prepared for emergencies.
So he and Rozetha Burrow, the police department’s business liaison officer, are leading courses that teach city employees how to respond to fires and active shooters.
“It’s just something we feel like needed to be done,” Rhudy said. “I want people to be aware.”
Rhudy and Burrow co-led the first of three training sessions in late September for employees who work at City Hall. The goal of the session, Rhudy said, was to establish general knowledge about what to do in emergencies and how to escape the building.
The session included touring City Hall, identifying exits and pinpointing evacuation routes.
“If we can get the evacuation drills down ... no matter what scenario comes at you, you should have an idea on how to get out of the building safe,” Burrow said.
Rhudy said most employees had a firm understanding of City Hall’s layout but weren’t as versed in procedures. He reminded them about the importance of closing doors to contain fires and looking in all directions while evacuating.
“We just feel like repetition over and over will make a huge difference,” Rhudy said.
Burrow, who is a certified active shooter training instructor, said City Hall employees had previously inquired about getting trained.
She said they weren’t sure how to respond in an emergency and wanted some guidance.
“When it was brought to my attention that we had some concerned employees who really didn’t know what to do and were reaching out for help, I felt like it was my obligation that we gave them the proper training,” Burrow said.
During September’s course, Rhudy and Burrow designated department heads in City Hall as team leaders. If an emergency occurs, they are responsible for locating their team members and picking up a nearby backpack. The backpacks are hitched to the walls and contain supplies such as a two-way radio, flashlight, first aid kit, phone chargers, food and water.
Rhudy and Burrow will host their next session in November and their final session in January, Burrow said. The stakes will increase each time, with the last one simulating a real-life scenario.
“If we can get evacuation principles down, then we’ll do great with the rest,” Burrow said. “My goal is to gradually get them to the next level and the next level and the next level.”
Burrow has been with MBPD for about 13 years, and Rhudy has been with MBFD for 20 years.
As fire marshal, he is in charge of fire inspection and code enforcement in all new and existing buildings, along with reviewing new construction plans to ensure compliance with fire and life safety codes. He also oversees public education.
Rhudy said the only fire emergency he has encountered involving a city structure occurred about five years ago, when an electrical issue caused smoke to fill the second floor of Emmet O’Neal Library.
If a blaze ever breaks out, Rhudy said, accountability and communication are critical in preventing fatalities. Those are both things he is hoping to facilitate through the training.
“If you’ve got that, you’re good,” he said.