LANGLEY — As memories of power outages and snowstorms fade, the city of Langley is kicking work on its emergency preparedness program into high gear.

Lynn Sterbenz, Langley’s emergency preparedness consultant, is currently working on getting the city ready for any kind of emergency.

Part of that is making sure that all federal and state requirements are met. She’s also researching grant funding to support the program, studying other jurisdictions’ emergency management programs and writing Langley’s comprehensive emergency management plan.

She made her first presentation last Wednesday to the city council.

“The more the city of Langley can do to be prepared, the better off we will be,” Sterbenz said.

“My goal is to go exceed the state’s requirements by incorporating public education, awareness and training into Langley’s emergency management program. Ensuring that the whole city has a clear understanding of what help is available — both on and off-island — will go a long way toward improving response,” she added.

However, there is still much to do.

So far she has worked with other cities to examine emergency plans and has contacted local groups and organizations that would respond in the case of an emergency, such as the American Red Cross or Fire District 3.

The next step is creating a comprehensive emergency management plan, although that piece was supposed to be finished earlier.

“Through a misunderstanding one way or another, the reports we have finished were second or third in line to what we were supposed to create,” City Administrator Walt Blackford told the council.

To remedy the problem, Sterbenz will carve out enough time in the next 60 days to focus on the comprehensive emergency management plan.

Sterbenz also told the city council that Oak Harbor is the only city on the island so far to have developed and adopted its emergency management program and comprehensive emergency management plan.

Once the contract for Sterbenz expires at the end of the year, the city has the option to renew her contract in case more work needs to be done.

Whatever city leaders will decide, the emergency preparedness program is a work in progress.

When the city is done with the plan, 25 percent of the plan will have to be reviewed and updated each year.

Sterbenz said preparing the emergency preparedness plan will open up opportunities for public funding and grant money for city projects.

The city will also adopt new codes and ordinances to accommodate the new plan, Sterbenz said.

Councilman Robert Gilman, however, was concerned about the length and depth of the plan.

“We won’t make it longer than we have to,” Blackford promised.

The state requires that all counties and incorporated cities develop and adopt an emergency management program. The two main components of such a program are the assignment of a director to oversee planning, preparedness and response, and the creation of a comprehensive plan for emergencies.

Living on an island poses special challenges when it comes to emergency preparedness, ranging from transportation to supplies, officials said.

“There won’t be the same emergency response that you’d expect on the larger islands. Response will likely take longer and be less well equipped than on the mainland,” Sterbenz said.

Any potential response may be severely affected by weather, tides and other demands upon local resources.

Sterbenz said neighbors have a large responsibility in the success of Langley’s emergency response.

“Much of the success or failure of an emergency response will fall on the shoulders of you and your neighbors,” she said.

Mayor Neil Colburn agreed.

“It’s another state mandate,” Colburn said of the plan. “But ultimately, we’ll look at each other and help each other. That’ll be our emergency plan.”

The city is in the early stages of addressing its responsibilities, Blackford said.

“The main point from the city’s perspective is that council is demonstrating a commitment to emergency planning and preparation by providing funds to hire experienced consultants,” he said.

“While we’d all like to have a full emergency plan in place sooner than later, it will take time. As long as we’re making steady progress, I’m happy,” Blackford said.