OKC Firefighters Remind Homeowners To Register Storm Shelters With City

Severe weather season has arrived, and Oklahoma City firefighters want residents to register their storm shelters. 

David Payne and News 9’s team of trackers followed storms over the weekend. 

Oklahoma City Fire Department Capt. Scott Douglas said calm days are the time to prepare for severe weather. 

Douglas reminds homeowners to get their storm shelters on the books every year so firefighters can find their shelters after a storm. “Make it a priority this week,” Douglas said. “We’re able to get to you a lot faster."

Oklahoma City keeps a database of storm shelter locations people register with the city. “There’s a little dot that localizes where it’s at on your property,” Douglas said. 

Douglas said they’re often left with questions without that location during an emergency. “At that point, we’re just digging through rubble,” Douglas said. “What are we searching for? Is there a storm shelter here or is there not?” 

Quicker searches save resources. “That helps minimize and localize our search efforts,” Douglas said. “If we pull up to a neighborhood of a hundred homes, we want to see a hundred dots,” Douglas said. 

On Monday, the sky was clear. So, Douglas said there’s no better time to register a shelter than the present – while the weather is quiet. “Do it now,” Douglas said. "Register your storm shelter as soon as possible; it really just takes a couple of minutes to register.” 

Douglas said his department is ready to respond to any severe weather rescue response. The city said thousands of people have already registered their storm shelters. Visit OKC’s website to register a storm shelter. Anyone outside OKC should check with their specific city or county to register a storm shelter.