By itself, the Aug. 6 Mirror article about agencies working on emergency preparedness for the disabled should have been enough to bolster interest regarding the importance of the topic.

But the arrival of Hurricane Debby — actually the remnants of the original weather event in the southeastern sector of the United States — further reinforced the magnitude of that important preparedness issue.

Adequate special preparations are indispensable for responding quickly and correctly to emergencies, especially when the lives of disabled individuals could be at risk.

Meanwhile, it is true that any category of emergency is capable of endangering the disabled, if any of those individuals are present or in close proximity to what is happening.

Altoona and the rest of Blair County need to be prepared, but so should every other community — everywhere.

Actually, no community should be satisfied until it has a sound foundation of response preparation in place, based on what can be described as comprehensive planning.

It is a matter of common sense and understanding the challenges, regardless of the magnitude.

It is important to note that the preparedness currently being discussed in Blair County probably would not be necessary if COVID-19 had not wreaked its onslaught of illness and death on the world, including illness and death in and around Altoona.

Prior to COVID, emergency preparedness on behalf of the disabled had been gathering momentum here for nearly a decade until it was halted as a result of the pandemic, according to Maria Brandt, executive director of ARC of Blair County.

It is important to know that the new education and planning effort underway here involves advocates and first responders, as well as people with disabilities, according to Brandt and Mark Taylor, Blair’s emergency management director. It was Taylor who initiated the revival of the emergency preparedness program when he reached out to ARC.

According to Brandt, during the preparedness effort’s initial experience pre-pandemic, separate training was conducted for people with disabilities and their families, then with first responders.

Joint sessions followed.

Brandt said joint trainings are likely to be resurrected soon for the revived program evolving at this time.

An agency survey is being counted on to be a major asset in terms of providing guidance and direction to the revived effort.

Many people don’t realize the brainstorming, on-paper planning and actual training exercises required to implement and perfect such preparedness. The effort takes many hours and the dedication and skills of many individuals.

Planning takes many forms. However, planning associated with keeping the disabled safe amid emergency conditions — as well as in situations of whatever other kind — requires special perception and, really, special people, like those involved here.

Gaining a better understanding of what is at stake in the realm of such planning can be attained by speaking with emergency responders — especially about the emotional toll of not being able to reach a disabled person in time, despite valiant efforts and having put their own lives in peril. It is safe to say that many hours of sleep are lost while replaying in their own minds what they might have done differently and perhaps more effectively to try to save that person — or those persons — who could not try to escape without the help of someone else.

“Fail” always will be an unwanted, ugly word to those who commit themselves to the new program and the excellence for which it strives.