LEPC Minutes 3.9.20221
New Hanover and Pender Counties
March 9, 2022
Teresa Smith opened the meeting at 11 AM. There were no new members present.
Attendance
Name Business Name Business
Paul Carr
New Hanover Regional
Medical Center Emergency
Management
Alex Riley NHC Communications and
Outreach
Chris Drimmel Acme Smoked Fish Sarah Robison NC Emergency Management
Kyle Earley Elementis Teresa Smith NHC Emergency Management,
LEPC Chair
Darren Goodman Kinder Morgan Ron Stancil Sturdy Corporation
Edward Hans NHRMC John Stephenson City of Wilmington Fire
Department
David Hancock NC Dept. of Transportation Catrina Striba
New Hanover Regional
Medical Center Emergency
Management
Stan Harts Alcami Corporation Jeff Suggs NHC Health Department
Eric Hatcher CFPUA Sarah Taylor Pender County Emergency
Management, LEPC Vice-Chair
Billy Howard NHRMC Emergency Medical
Services Michael Thompson American Red Cross
Jeffrey Klein Piedmont Natural Gas Mark Venters GE Hitachi/Global Nuclear
Fuels
Tina Kuhr GE Hitachi, LEPC Secretary Diana Vetter Craft New Hanover County Health
Department
Jessica Loeper NHC Communications and
Outreach Natosha Vincent City of Wilmington Fire
Department
Quint Ocock HEPACO Philip Watts Colonial Terminals
Jeannine Patané American Red Cross Linda Willis NC Dept of Natural Resources
Alan Pytcher NC Dept of Transportation Dennis Wooten NC State Ports Authority
Carol Yates Corning
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Review and Approval of Minutes
Mark Venters moved that the minutes of the February 9, 2022, meeting be accepted. Diana Vetter Craft
seconded. The minutes were approved as amended.
Presentation: How A Hospital Prepares for a Major Disaster, Paul Carr, Novant Health – New Hanover
Regional Medical Center (NHRMC)
Paul went over the Novant Health Coastal Region Risk Assessment Hurricane Decision Matrix. The plan
will be updated to add Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center and additional facilities in the Coastal
Market. He reviewed the design basis winds for key facilities. Paul also explained their Course of Action
decision matrix. Hurricane Florence was the first time NHRMC evacuated patients inland. The hospital
uses a planning timeline beginning 144 hours (six days) prior to landfall. It takes time to determine
which patients need to be transferred. They then prepare and transfer patients 96 hours (four days)
ahead of the storm. The transfers are coordinated with New Hanover and Pender County Emergency
Management.
Q&A
NC DOT stressed the need to notify DOT for flooded roadways, so they can post closures and evaluate
structural integrity afterwards. NC DOT tracks road closures, so contact them if agencies and
organizations need to know that information for transport of goods or people. NC DOT provides a liaison
in the New Hanover County EOC when it is open to supply that information.
New Hanover County (NHC) Emergency Management (EM) discussed how special needs are handled in
New Hanover County. They use volunteers to staff an Individual Care Coordination Center (IC-3).
Volunteers stay at the hospital and reach out to people who need to be or are on the special needs
registry, to help them arrange for durable medical equipment, backup power, etc. IC-3 works with
hospital social workers to ensure people have needed support services if they stay in place or work to
move them to a special needs shelter or other locations inland. If LEPC members know of people that
need to be on the special needs registry, encourage them to register. Public Health helps with outreach
as well. Audrey Hart, NHC EM is the county’s IC-3 coordinator. Information about NHC’s Special
Needs Registry can be found at: https://em.nhcgov.com/ready-nhc/special-needs-registry/ There are
approximately 300 currently on registry.
Open Forum
Hurricane Preparedness
Now is the time for organizations to prepare AND make sure their employees are prepared for hurricane
season, which starts June 1.
Tier 2 Reporting
NHC received 169 Tier 2 reports, including nine new locations for 2021. Teresa has prepared the invoices
for payment to the county. Pender County received 22 Tier 2 Reports.
LEPC Conference
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The LEPC Conference was a huge success. The Training Committee met for an after-action review. They
will consider the frequency for future conferences. Here is a link to a press release about the
conference: https://news.nhcgov.com/news-releases/2022/02/first-conference-of-local-emergency-
planning-committee-highlights-preparedness/
Training
The LEPC has another grant for more training. The Training Committee will go over the after-action
report and the improvement plan from the Hazmat tabletop to determine the training needs.
2022 LEPC Meeting Schedule
May 11 In-Person
July 13 In-Person
September 14 In-Person
November 9 In-Person
Adjournment
Paul Carr moved to adjourn, and Sarah Taylor seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 11:56 AM.