A Topeka leader wants to bring Hurricane Katrina-styled emergency shelters to the capital city.

Larry Gawronski called for community involvement on his “safety shelter” plan for Topeka. Inspired from his work on a 2005 Hurricane Katrina shelter in Mississippi, the Topeka Performing Arts executive director pictures an action plan for venues like TPAC or the Expocentre. The shelter would keep people safe during citywide emergencies or disasters.

“We as a community can come together, we’ve got the resources,” Gawronski said. “I certainly have the leadership ability to mobilize teams and to set up the organizational logistics for this, but it’s going to take a village and at least we have a blueprint.”