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- OEMA Partners with State Representative Ownbey and the Manufactured Housing
Association of OK to assist Mobile Home Park Owners
Oklahoma House of Representatives
Media Division
January 25, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: State Rep. Pat Ownbey
Capitol: (405) 557-7326
- Lawmaker, Manufactured Housing Association Join Forces to Prevent Tornado Deaths
- OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Pat Ownbey today announced the Manufactured Housing Association of Oklahoma Board of Directors’
acceptance of his recommendation to help provide sample emergency plans for mobile home communities to prevent deaths in the event of a
tornado or other disaster.
Ownbey said that because the organization has voluntarily agreed to do what he had proposed in a bill last year, he does not plan to push
the legislation again.
“My concern has always been for the safety of those residents in manufactured housing parks and I filed legislation after the Lone Grove
tornado that killed seven people in a mobile home park,” Ownbey, R-Ardmore, said. “The legislation gained a great deal of support in the
Legislature but failed to make it through the full process before the last days of session. After it failed, I sought the support of the Manufactured
Housing Association and am proud to say that I have got it. My decision to not reintroduce was made because of their assistance in getting this
done on a voluntary basis. My concern, along with Manufactured Housing, was that my bill would have inadvertently created a liability for
manufactured housing parks.”
The Manufactured Housing Association of Oklahoma will partner with the Oklahoma Emergency Management Association and implement a
program to get the word out to the estimated 600 communities throughout Oklahoma. The two organizations will be sending a sample emergency
plan to each community and encourage the owners to enlist the assistance of local or county emergency management officials to help assist with
developing a voluntary plan to address any natural or man-made disaster.
David Barnes, the director of Oklahoma County Emergency Management, is working with the Manufactured Housing Association on the
sample plans. He said ensuring residents have access to multiples sources of information on weather conditions and knowledge of where they
can go in the event of a disaster is crucial.
The Manufactured Housing Association of Oklahoma Board of Directors agreed to Ownbey’s recommendation on Dec. 13, 2010.
“I’m glad that the association is looking at it as a voluntary step to help our citizens,” Barnes said. “I think it is the right thing to do. We’re looking
at a couple of primary factors. One is awareness. It is extremely important that people can access multiple sources of information regarding
weather conditions and warnings. The other things people need to know is where a close source of shelter is.”
Barnes said that programmable all-hazard radios are inexpensive and allow individuals to program codes specific to where they live to get
local weather information. He said personal electronic devices now have access to warnings and weather updates.
Ownbey said he is confident that this collaboration will lead to greater safety for mobile home and manufactured home residents.
“I am very pleased with the way this has gone,” Ownbey said. “Oklahomans take care of one another and I am encouraged by the
Manufactured Housing Association’s willingness to take part in increasing the safety of the residents of manufactured and mobile homes.”
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