County’s new safety officer is on the job

Kristen Sailer said the catastrophes that pop up every week on TV dramas might not be entirely realistic, but she can also draw comparisons to real life.
“They practice that,” she said of the actors and their roles. “They rehearse over many days and learn the script. And for us, our plans are the script. Our first responders react to the plans we’ve practiced.”
The plans Sailer is talking about are the thousands of pages of documents and procedures she’s learning as the new Steele County Emergency and Risk Management director and County Safety Officer.
Her role is one of pre-planning, she said, and building relationships with her counterparts. Sailer has spent her first two weeks on the job meeting the people who will respond to emergencies that may arise: Firefighters, members of law enforcement, public works, emergency medical services, dispatchers and more.
She’s also spent a fair amount of time reviewing and updating those plans to ensure the necessary processes and equipment are in place.
“Mike Johnson really paved the way for me,” Sailer said, referring to the longtime Owatonna Fire Chief and emergency manager for the county. His recent retirement – and a global pandemic – prompted county leadership to take a look at those roles, then redistribute them.
Sailer is the first full-time county risk management director and safety officer, and she said she’s grateful for the work Johnson did.
“Steele County has great programs and plans in place already,” she said. “I’m working on meeting everyone, discussing their needs and expectations, and getting a feel for the future.”
Sailer has more than 20 years of emergency management experience, handling disasters from flooding and tornadoes to landslides and extreme temperatures. She is, if you will, the director of the symphony of responders who arrive to help.
Nothing has been quite as far-reaching, of course, as the effects of COVID-19. Sailer most recently worked with the Southeast Minnesota Disaster Health Coalition on its response to the coronavirus.
“It’s been difficult,” she said, “and it’s put a strain on everyone, but it’s also brought forward what we do, what we provide. We also saw everyone pull together and do what was needed to keep each other safe.”
And safety, of course, is the name of the game.
“Any time you protect the public, save lives, protect property,” it’s a success, Sailer said.
Emergencies – anything from a building collapse like the one in Seaside, Fla., to the protests that erupted after the murder of George Floyd – require the same thing: Calm amid the chaos.
Sailer, with her soft, measured voice, said that comes with experience and comes down to coordination, “everyone, at every level.”
She began college intending to become a nurse; when a temporary job with Homeland Security and emergency management opened in the Twin Cities. Now, 21 years later, Sailer has logged more than 500 training hours to be a certified emergency manager in Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as several leadership programs with FEMA and Homeland Security.
While dealing with people during a crisis is tough, Sailer said the reward comes with being able to offer real help.
“We talk with them, listen to them, and try to help them through the process,” she said. “We know the resources available and what kind of help they can qualify for.”
Sailer and her husband, Doug, live in Rochester and have three sons.
Sites to See:
Steele County Emergency Management webpage: www.steelecountyemergency.com
Steele County Everbridge Emergency Notification, for specific emergency and weather alerts: www.member.everbridge.net  (to sign up)
To volunteer in emergency management in your county: www.steelecountyemergency.com/volunteer-agencies/how-to-volunteer
To review the All-Hazard Mitigation Plan: www.steelecountyemergency.com/mitigation
 
To prepare your family for any disaster: www.ready.gov