I was thinking this morning about the worst blizzard to hit Indiana in anyone’s memory. It was the late 1970s and I was working the afternoon news shift at a radio station. We got the word a blizzard warning was in place for the following morning. The staff members at the station just looked at each other with bewildered faces. It was the first time anyone had seen a blizzard warning in Central Indiana.
My good friend at the station worked the morning shift, usually alone. He called me immediately and asked my help handling duties the following morning and I quickly said yes.
The wind and snow were so bad he used a CB radio to relay a phone message to me to meet up with him across a field … he could not get into my apartment complex parking lot.
We spent the morning describing everything we could learn from all our news sources. Indiana’s governor at the time was Otis Bowen and he needed the National Guard to get him from the governor’s residence to the Statehouse.
The local radio station owner was listening at the breakfast table, and told his family he was very concerned about what my partner and I were saying on the air, that we were making too much of the snow and were needlessly scaring people all over the county.
Then, the owner tried to get to work. He finally called on a neighbor with a snow plow and arrived at the station late in the morning. He changed his tune and realized my partner and I were not overstating the situation, we were describing it accurately.
Why did I think about that this morning? Because there are so many people today like my former employer, the radio station owner. The experts in communicable diseases and epidemiology have been telling anyone who will listen for weeks that our political leaders needed to take action in order to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
At this point, we are faced with a shortfall of test kits, no vaccine and a dangerous run on our healthcare system more than a little likely. If I were someone in charge, I would want this virus to just slowly go away, but reality is much different. Now, we are faced with a virtual shutdown for much of the American economy.
When people ask me what to think about all this, I always respond with one phrase – listen to the experts. They know what they are talking about. When the experts recommend action, it is likely time to act.
We were likely late in acting in this case and that will, based on the experts, require us to hunker down even longer before life can even begin to transition to anything close to normalcy.
I have been heartened by the response of people in Fishers and the surrounding area. Government officials, nonprofit groups and just groups of regular citizens are doing everything possible to help with those in need during this unusual time.
Mayor Scott Fadness took action and declared a local disaster emergency, limiting travel in the city. He also made clear local public safety officials will be enforcing the governor’s order to close restaurants and bars, limiting them to carry-out and delivery service.
The city has established a hotline dedicated to coronavirus questions. That number is (317) 595-3211. Anyone in need of food or supplies should call that number for assistance.
The city also reminds everyone that you should call your physician’s office before going in person, or call the hotline for advice on where to go from there.
Many people in and around Fishers are offering help and are providing that help to many of our residents. That famous saying from Fred Rogers … whenever some bad happens look for the helpers.
We have many helpers and I salute you all, all the way from the mayor down to residents doing what they can to help.
I have no idea how long we will need to keep ourselves at home, but we are all in this together. Let’s do it together.