Bob Cutter, executive director of Colorado Springs Together, spoke at the April meeting of the Eastern Plains Chamber of Commerce. At the request of the mayor, Cutter formed Colorado Springs Together to develop a recovery plan for the city and residents after the Waldo Canyon Fire that destroyed businesses and homes in June 2012.Cutter said he and the mayor wanted an organization that focused on the strength of the community and brought people together. The success of the organization has other cities like Bellingham in Washington seeking guidance on disaster recovery plans, and the city of Colorado Springs is under consideration for the Federal Emergency Management Agencyís ìResilient Community Grant,î he said.Having a single recovery organization helped keep things organized and centralized for other agencies and responders, he said. Creating a multi-faceted team to help the recovery is important as well. ìYou need real estate folks, lawyers, construction Ö all these people on your team,î Cutter said.He said email blasts kept the residents updated and aware of events or meetings relative to the disaster and recovery.Cutter said the lessons learned from the disaster have been plentiful.He said people directly affected by the disaster were underinsured. ìI could almost say 100 percent of the people were underinsured ñ labor and materials (for example) ñ people just do not factor this cost into rebuilding their home,î Cutter said.He said Mountain Shadows will use more fire resilient materials on new homes and develop better fire mitigation practices.Cleanup is a learning process and vital to the well-being of residents. In Mountain Shadows, 347 homes were destroyed and thousands more affected by smoke and debris, Cutter said. ìThe longer the debris sat there, the longer the reminder that I lost my home,î he said. ìI was not prepared for the unbelievable range of human emotions. It is a daunting prospect to rebuild your home and your life.î Both cleanup and rebuilding have been an uphill battle, Cutter added. At the time he spoke, Cutter said the debris had been removed from 308 homes; there are 146 new permits and 35 homes are ìcomplete.î Plans to remember the tragedy are under way, which is an important aspect to the healing process for those who lost homes and for the community, he said. One neighborhood has spearheaded a memorial that should be finished in 2014, Cutter said.Residents are currently participating in a photo/essay contest on how the fire impacted them. Cutter said one resident sent in a photo that showed her holding an apple core, left by one of the firefighters trying to save her home. It was the only thing she found amidst the ashes that contained her home and belongings.For more information on Colorado Springs Together, visit http://coloradospringstogether.org
