Fire Chief Mitch Randles lost his home and most of his belongings on May 22 when an EF-5 tornado swept through the town, killing more than 140 people. It was a deadly day, and it was only when the storm cleared and people emerged that the real toll could start to be measured and response efforts planned. During the event, Randle began developing contingency plans and then turned to the state's mutual-aid system and federal partners for help.

He joined FIRE CHIEF Associate Editor Mary Rose Roberts to share his experiences the day the tornado hit, including operational and communications hindrances as well as other lessons learned.