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1996-08-15 Emergency Meeting NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 25 HURRICANE BERTHA CRITIQUE, AUGUST 15, 1996PAGE 537 ASSEMBLY The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners met in Special Session on Thursday, August 15, 1996, at 7:00 P.M. in the Assembly Room of the New Hanover County Courthouse, 24 North Third Street, Wilmington, North Carolina. Members present were: Commissioners William A. Caster; William E. Sisson, Jr.; Vice-Chairman E. L. Mathews, Jr.; County Manager, Allen O'Neal; County Attorney, Wanda M. Copley; and Clerk to the Board, Lucie F. Harrell. Members absent were: Commissioner Sandra Barone and Chairman Robert G. Greer. Vice-Chairman Mathews called the meeting to order and expressed appreciation to all persons present for the excellent job performed in protecting the public safety during Hurricane Bertha. He advised that the purpose of the meeting was to critique the emergency activities that occurred before, during, and after the storm. Director of Emergency Management, Dan Summers, presented the functions of the emergency plan and requested comments from representatives of the different agencies. Transportation: Lieutenant Colonel Gregory M. Griffith, U. S. Army 1033rd RTU, advised that during emergency events, the Army RTU was responsible for coordinating transportation needs, including mass transportation or special needs. During Hurricane Bertha, the major transportation need was to move people in and out of shelters. The coordination of providing vehicles was well carried out; however, finding drivers after the storm was a problem. On July 11, 1996, the 1033rd RTU Unit was requested to staff the EOC and complied to this request with staffing before, during, and after the storm. He stated, in his opinion, the coordination within EOC was excellent. Communications: Mr. David Lane, representing Bell South, advised that Bell South had an Emergency Preparedness Plan in place and reported when Hurricane Bertha arrived, the plan was implemented. Generators and extra crews were brought in immediately to repair lines and restore phone service. Bell South was pleased with the response by the recovery crews. One new responsibility was the provision of a Bell South representative in the EOC. This representative was extremely helpful in coordinating safety issues with Carolina Power & Light Company. Priority communications were well covered with the exception of one link on the 911 tower, which will be reviewed for future emergencies. As to the Media Center, it was found that a Bell South representative should have been located in the Center after the hurricane to assist the public with questions about restoring phone service. He advised this issue would be reviewed and included in Bell South's Emergency Preparedness Plan. Mr. Tom Matheson, a representative of the National Weather Service, expressed concern for information having to be retyped on weather statements issued before being forwarded to the EOC. He advised that the Weather Service had worked for two years to improve this response without success. He complimented the ham radio operators for the excellent job performed in relaying the latest weather reports to the EOC and stated without this assistance, the latest weather bulletins would have been delayed for at least thirty minutes before being received by the EOC. Emergency Management Director Summers explained that in North Carolina DCI cannot be used for transmitting hurricane warnings; whereas, in South Carolina there is limited use of DCI during emergencies. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 25 HURRICANE BERTHA CRITIQUE, AUGUST 15, 1996PAGE 538 Mr. Andrew J. Atkinson, the Public Information Officer and Deputy County Manager, commented on the effective operation of the Media Center during Hurricane Bertha and reported Press Releases and phone responses were handled efficiently. He made the following recommendations: (1)The need for more fax lines. (2)The need for more telephones in the Media Center so that all persons staffing the Center can respond to incoming calls. (3)The need for Bell South and Carolina Power and Light Company to establish emergency response telephone numbers so the public can call directly without having to call the Media Center. (4)More emphasis should be placed on the importance of having representatives from the governing bodies at the Media Center before and after the storm so better communication can occur among the five local governments. Vice-Chairman Mathews commented on the importance of training persons working in the Media Center and suggested that when the new County Public Information Officer is hired in January, 1997, training sessions should be scheduled for all persons working in the Center. Mr. Tom Lamont, WWAY TV-3, complimented the Emergency Management Staff for an excellent job performed in protecting the public. He commented on the three different areas of news coverage prior to the storm, during the storm, and after the storm, and stated it was imperative that accurate information was broadcast to the public. He expressed concern for the incident that occurred at Snow's Cut bridge with reference to beach access and suggested the possibility of developing a media policy relating to re-entry into the beach communities with the use of pool photography to show the residents pictures of the damage so they will understand why the beach communities have not been re-opened. In closing, Mr. Lamont advised that communication could always be improved and stated that Channel 3 would be glad to work with the Emergency Management Department in reviewing ways to eliminate any inconsistencies in reporting. Emergency Management Director Summers advised that a Pleasure Island Planning Committee had been appointed and meetings were scheduled to review and coordinate a re-entry policy for Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, and the unincorporated area of the beach communities. It is hoped that many of these problems will be resolved with a unified re-entry policy. Vice-Chairman Mathews advised that Chairman Greer had recommended an hourly or periodic report from the beach communities to the Media Center so the residents of the beaches could be accurately informed about the severity of the storm and the amount of damage that was actually occurring on the beaches. This procedure would better inform the public, and hopefully reach the out-of-town news media that tends to exaggerate the facts about damage. Commissioner Sisson complimented the local media for excellent coverage of Hurricane Bertha. He reported the citizens were well informed and the coverage greatly assisted the County in protecting the public safety. He expressed concern for the coverage on the national level, which greatly exaggerated the damage from the storm and upset many residents and their families. He suggested implementing the recommendation offered by Chairman Greer and requested Staff to develop a system to better communicate with the national media. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 25 HURRICANE BERTHA CRITIQUE, AUGUST 15, 1996PAGE 539 Mr. Mark Boyer, a reporter with WGNI/WMNX-Coast, expressed the following concerns: (1) receipt of information from the Media Center in a timely fashion; and (2) the inconsistent information received from persons working in the Media Center. He recommended implementing a procedure that would avoid discrepancies in the information being disbursed. County Manager O'Neal responded that he was aware of the fact that inconsistent information came from the Media Center. He advised that Staff was in the process of reviewing this matter and changing the schedule so that incoming workers would arrive fifteen minutes earlier to be briefed on the latest information being released. Mr. Bill Murrill, the Emergency Coordinator for the Amateur Radio Emergency Services, reported the delay of weather information to the EOC was a problem; however, the amateur radio operators, through a direct line to the National Weather Service could transmit the latest weather bulletin within three to five minutes. He complimented the EOC and the Media Center for an excellent job, and reported that one antenna for the Amateur Radio Emergency Services was lost during the storm. Public Works & Engineering: Mr. Ed Fare, representing the City of Wilmington, reported that overall he was pleased with the way the City's infrastructure responded during Hurricane Bertha. The drainage system worked well, and the streets were re-opened within 48 hours with traffic signals in operation. He complimented the EOC and the Media Center for an excellent job in protecting the lives of the public through an efficient evacuation. Appreciation was expressed for the manner in which the damage assessment and clean-up activities were handled by the County Staff after the storm. Emergency Management Director Summers reported the establishment of a Recovery Center in the auditorium at the Health Department had been a major improvement in handling damage assessment. He advised that in future events, it would be beneficial to hold a short, post recovery debriefing session each morning among the key agencies for three or four days after a storm to provide a daily exchange of information. Director of Environmental Management, Ray Church, reported a plan was developed two years ago to have contracts in place with debris grinding companies and a Public Notice ready to advertise for receipt of bids to dispose of vegetative debris. This plan allowed the County to open debris disposal sites one day after the storm and award a contract for debris removal four days after the storm. He complimented the Emergency Management Department for an excellent job in carrying out the emergency process and stated he was pleased with the manner in which the clean-up activities had been handled. Assistant County Manager, Dave Weaver, congratulated Director Church for the outstanding job performed in handling debris removal and the promptness in which the public was informed about disposal of trees and yard debris. He commented on the need for more generators in the pumping stations and advised that all new pumping stations coming on line would he equipped with a generator. Commissioner Sisson expressed concern for the fly-by-night debris disposers and stated future elected officials should consider developing a committee to study implementing some type of regulation to avoid excessive charges to citizens for tree and debris removal. Fire Operations: Mr. Gene Kidd, representing the Wilmington Fire Department, reported the communication between the EOC and Wilmington Fire Department was excellent. He suggested that NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 25 HURRICANE BERTHA CRITIQUE, AUGUST 15, 1996PAGE 540 representatives from Carolina Power & Light Company and the gas companies should be in the EOC to assist the Fire Department when responding to fire calls associated with live power lines or leaking gas lines. Mr. Phil Kouwe, the Fire Services Administrator for New Hanover County, reported the fire stations became regional response centers and he presented the following recommendations: (1)Advance planning of supplies for the Volunteer Fire Stations to house work crews. During Hurricane Bertha, there was an inadequate supply of bedding and food supplies in the fire stations. (2)In future events, the Fire Services personnel in the EOC will use a laptop computer programmed with a fax modem to disburse information more quickly. (3)The County should consider enhancing the 800 MHZ System to broadcast audio updates of the storm's progress back to the EOC. (4)Increased communication should occur with Carolina Power & Light Company crews after the storm to assist the Volunteer Fire Departments with responding to tree fires. (5)Conflict areas between the N. C. Forestry Service and the County's authority to issue a burning ban should be studied with a regulation in place that is agreeable to all parties involved. (6)Improvement of telephone communications between the Chiefs of the Volunteer Fire Departments and FEMA, which can be accomplished through voice mail. In closing, Mr. Kouwe reported he was pleased that the Volunteer Fire Departments were fully staffed and remained operational throughout the storm, including the fire station on Highway 421 North. Mass Care: Mr. Michael Thompson, Disaster Chairman for the Cape Fear Chapter of the American Red Cross, reported overall he was pleased with the manner in which the shelters were opened and operated. He complimented the Department of Social Services, the Health Department and School System for their assistance in operating the shelters and presented the following items of concern: (1)Establishment of a policy to better handle news reporters interviewing persons in the shelter. During Hurricane Bertha, a problem was experienced with protecting the privacy of other persons during news interviews. (2)Additional cots and blankets are desperately needed for the shelters. (3)Generators are needed for all schools that serve as shelters during emergencies. Frequently, the shelters are hot and without lights or the ability to prepare hot food. This type of situation could have created some serious problems. Further discussion was held on the need to purchase generators. It was generally agreed that switches should be placed in the schools so generators could be connected when the shelters are activated. County Manager O'Neal advised that Staff would review whether to purchase additional generators or prepare rental contracts in advance so that generators could be provided to the school shelters during emergencies. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 25 HURRICANE BERTHA CRITIQUE, AUGUST 15, 1996PAGE 541 BREAK Vice-Chairman Mathews called a break from 8:10 P.M. until 8:20 P.M. Ms. Chris McNamee, an employee of the Department of Social Services (DSS), reported that 80 DSS employees manned the shelters that housed 400 citizens under difficult situations because of the lack of generators and no provisions for the special needs population. She presented the following recommendations: (1)The provision of generators for each shelter. (2)Use of trained personnel from the Health Department and Southeastern Center in the shelters to handle the special needs population, including mentally ill persons. Employees from the Department of Social Services were required to take care of special needs patients without the necessary training. (3)Provide adequate batteries, diapers, and other supplies to the shelters. Employees of the Department of Social Services had to purchase these supplies. (4)Reassess the persons using the shelters and provide transportation to the homeless population. Many of the homeless persons stood under the parking deck during Hurricane Bertha. The County may wish to consider establishing a specific location in the downtown area for this vulnerable population. Emergency Management Director Summers responded there was no easy way to handle special needs during a disaster. He advised that Staff was working on a plan to better address the special needs population in the shelters. Dr. Art Costantini, Director of the Southeastern Center, reported the Southeastern Center was not represented in the shelters because Staff had not been invited or included in the emergency planning process. He advised that the Southeastern Center had the necessary resources to assist with special needs and stated with official authorization, he would be glad to keep the Detox Center open to handle persons with mental illnesses and substance abuse problems during emergency events. Deputy County Manager Atkinson reported on the number of calls received from persons living in the inner-city who did not have transportation to the Trask Middle School Shelter. He recommended a review of how transportation can be provided to these individuals. County Manager O'Neal commented on confusion between the Trask Middle School and Trask Auditorium at UNC-Wilmington and recommended working with the news media to be sure that Trask Middle School is properly identified when broadcasting the opening of the shelter. Apparently, some people went to Trask Auditorium and Chancellor Leutze provided shelter to these individuals. Mr. Bill Hance, representing the New Hanover County School System, expressed concern for the following items: (1)The need for generators in each school shelter. (2)The need for a clear delineation of authority among the Red Cross, Department of Social Services, and School System when the school shelters are activated. (3)Future planning for medical supplies to be delivered to shelters. During Hurricane Bertha the medical supplies of the schools were used. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 25 HURRICANE BERTHA CRITIQUE, AUGUST 15, 1996PAGE 542 (4)Future planning for food and supplies to be used in the shelters. Some of the food was old and could not be used. (5)Rotation of the school shelters. Also, with a Category 4 storm the schools could be closed for months, which would create a lack of child care. Both of these items should be considered when reviewing the County's emergency plan. In closing, Mr. Hance reported the schools should be more involved in the planning process for emergencies because of the following reasons: (1) to assist school personnel in better understanding how to proceed once the shelters are activated; and (2) properly plan for shelter use in the design of the new schools being constructed. Further discussion was held on better management of the shelters. County Manager O'Neal reported on the need to have some employees from the Property Management Department in the shelters and EOC to handle minor electrical and maintenance problems. He advised that Staff would be reviewing all of the comments received. RESOURCE SUPPORT: No comments were received. HEALTH AND MEDICAL: Ms. Betty Creech, a Nurse Director of the New Hanover County Health Department, commented on the provision of medical care in the shelters and presented the following recommendations: (1)Designation of a Shelter Manager to avoid confusion. (2)Additional equipment for special needs such as wheel chairs and dedicated equipment for persons with special medical problems. (3)Employees from the Southeastern Center should be in the shelters to assist with emotionally ill and substance abuse patients. (4)More nurses are needed in the shelters. (5)All institutions with patients in the shelters should have accompanying staff. (6)Physicians should be available to answer questions about persons with special medical needs during disasters. (7)The Health Department should work more closely with the Red Cross in advance planning for opening of the shelters. Ms. Barbara Bisset, New Hanover Regional Medical Center Emergency Services Director, complimented the Emergency Management Department for an excellent job in providing agencies with information on emergency situations. She reported the "Storm Watch" video had been used to train hospital personnel and advised that the Emergency Room had sufficient medical supplies and personnel to handle injuries that could be sustained during a Category 4 or 5 storm. She emphasized the importance of everyone understanding that a severe storm could create a loss of lives and severe injuries. As to special needs, she would suggest that New Hanover County appoint a Crisis Intervention Team to meet and develop a policy to be followed in handling persons with special needs during emergency events. URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE: Mr. Mark Scott, ERP&M, complimented the Emergency Management Department for performing an excellent job during Hurricane Bertha. He recommended developing teams with volunteer firemen trained in search management and tracking to assist with rescue efforts. Also, engineering support should be NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 25 HURRICANE BERTHA CRITIQUE, AUGUST 15, 1996PAGE 543 provided to assist with collapsed structures during the rescue efforts. Mr. Marcus Benson, a Sergeant with the New Hanover County Sheriff's Department, commented on the need to move utility service trucks through traffic when coming into the County to restore electricity and phone service. He advised that traffic delays occurred during the recent storm, and the Sheriff's Department was in the process of reviewing how to escort a convoy through incoming and out-going traffic before and after a hurricane. Mr. Tony Caudle, Town Manager of Wrightsville Beach, congratulated everyone for performing an excellent job, particularly Bell South and Carolina Power & Light Company. He expressed appreciation to the New Hanover County Emergency Management Department for the efficient manner in which the emergency procedures were carried out before, during, and after the storm. Vice-Chairman Mathews made the following recommendations: (1)Immediate notification of the Media Center telephone number to the key County Departments when the Center is activated. (2)Until County offices are closed, pertinent information should be provided periodically to the key County Departments so correct information can be given to the public. (3)After the Media Center is closed, pertinent information about clean-up activities should be forwarded immediately to the key County Departments. Director Summers expressed appreciation for the comments received and advised this type of critique would be helpful to the Emergency Management Department in addressing problem areas. He requested all persons present to fill out the Hurricane Bertha Questionnaire and return or fax the form to the Emergency Management office. He complimented the agencies for their cooperation during the storm and stated without this dedicated effort, the emergency plan would not have been so effective. ADJOURNMENT Vice-Chairman Mathews expressed appreciation to the persons present for the informative remarks received, and stated, on behalf of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, he would like to thank each individual agency and person for the cooperative manner in which they worked with the County in carrying out the emergency plan. Vice-Chairman Mathews adjourned the meeting at 9:28 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Lucie F. Harrell Clerk to the Board