Emergency manager magazine, Summer 2003

SEP 1 8 2003

Emergency Manager is the official magazine of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency
Lisa Janak, Editor
Honorable Sonny Perdue Governor
Mike Sherberger Director
Lisa Ray Public Affairs Director
Ken Davis Public Affairs Officer
Buzz Weiss Public Affairs Coordinator
Lisa Janak Multi-Media Coordinator
Jennifer Collins Constituent Services
Coordinator
Katherine Huggins Public Information Specialist
Published by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency Post Office Box 18055 Atlanta, Georgia 30316
PHONE 1-800-TRY-G EMA
(404) 635-7000 FAX (404) 635-7205
Web site www.gema.state.ga.us
Cover photo of West Point flooding courtesy of Adrien Lamarre, Mobile District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

From the Director
New Job, New Challenges
y recent appointment as director of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) has riggered a range of emotions. I am grateful for the confidence that Governor Perdue has expressed, and I am proud to lead a nationally recognized team with an accomplished track record. That gratitude and pride, however, is tempered with the realization that the job also brings great challenges. We face new threats that were unimaginable a decade ago. And the increasing demands on the emergency management and homeland security community loom large as the economy continues to struggle.
But this situation is a formula for opportunity. The strategic planning that has become a part of our profession is yielding innovative ideas and solutions. Change within our profession and our organization is not only accepted, but welcomed. As new federal funds become available for homeland security initiatives, we see expanded prospects for collaboration with local officials. And the continued development of regional All-Hazards Councils is forging stronger partnerships with these local leaders.
Within GEMA, we are doing the right things the right way. But I strongly believe that our continued success will be driven by an even clearer understanding of the needs of Georgia's local communities and an enhanced commitment to the core values we share.

1

Summer 2003 EMERGENCY MANAGER

Under the Dome

L egislation proposed by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) to strengthen emergency response capabilities in Georgia cleared the state Senate, but remained stall ed in a key House committee when this year's marathon General Assembly session came to a close on April 25. Senate Bill 243 would require state and local authoriti es to implement an all -hazards unified incident command system for disaster and emergency response. At GEMA's request, it was introduced by Sen. Preston Smith of Rome.
Unified incident command is almost universally used throughout the state, but requiring it by law ensures consistency and continuity. The system involves major functions , including operations, planning, logi stics, and financeadministration. It enables multiple jurisdictions to work together without conflict or confus ion and provide mutual aid. In add iti on, state and federal assets fit seamless ly into an emergency response.
A number of states have already passed laws to require the use of unified incident command, and federal regulations require that incident command protocols be used in response to events such as hazardou s materials spill s. A Homeland Security Presidential Directive that was issued in late February calls on the Secretary of Homeland Security to admin ister a Natio nal Incident Management System.
"This legislation will help to ensure that there is an all-hazards management system in place that provides for clear authority and decision making at the scene of any in cident," said GEMA Director Mike Sherberger.
The bill , wh ich mandates a "standardized, verifiable, performance-based incident com mand system," passed the Senate without opposition on April 7, and a revised version cleared the House Public Safety Committee four days later. The more comprehensive committee substitute included language from House Bill 632, sponsored by Rep . Mike Snow, which would require state agenc ies to implement safety plans with GEMA's assistance. The measure tracked Georgia's successful school safety law,

passed in 1999. HB 632 was merged with SB 243 in a procedural move at GEMA's request because the deadline fo r House consideration of the bill had passed.
The incident command measure was drafted in collaboration with a number of agencies and organizations, including the Emergency Management Association of Georgia, Georgia Forestry Commission, Georgia Sheriffs' Association , Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs and Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.
A second GEMA-backed measure also hit a bump in the road in the final days of the session. Senate Bill 218 would make 9-1- 1 operators and state and local emergency management personnel eligible for indemnification benefits if killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. Law enforcement officers, firefighters, prison guards, and emergency management rescue specialists are currently covered. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Jeff Mullis, passed the Senate in late March and got a green light from the House Public Safety Committee in early April , but became bogged down in the House Rules panel.
Under House and Senate protocols, their respective Rules Committees decide what bills will be put on the calendar for a floor vote during the last 30 days of the 40-day sess ion. Because this was the first year of the two-year term , legi slation that was not resolved will "carry over" to next year's sess ion.
Senate Reso lution 213 will also be considered next year. A companion measure to SB 218, it wou ld authorize the con-

stitutional amendment required for the indemnification plan to become law. If passed by the General Assembly, the constitution al amendment would face voter approval in November 2004.
The 2003 General Assembly was the longest session si nce 1889. The session was highlighted by the inauguration of the first Republican governo r in 130 years, the selection of a new Speaker of the House for the first time in 28 years, new bipartisan leadership in the Senate, and 68 freshmen solons taking office, accounting for nearly one third of the General Assembly's total membership.
Although the General Assembly started slowly, the number of bills and resolutions introduced increased sharply by mid-sess ion. By the final day, more than 2,900 measures had been dropped in the legislative hopper, well above average. Nearly 500 measures passed both the Senate and House.
Among the other bills of interest that passed ...
SB 71 , which will allow mental health professionals and counselors to provide di saster and emergency serv ices in Georgia for 30 days without having to obtain a state license.
SB 183, which will expand the list of animal diseases that must be reported by veterinarians to state or federa l agriculture officials, and make it a crime to introduce these diseases into the state.
SB 113, which will revise the Open Records Law and shield information on anti-terrorism and security plans from public scruti ny.
SB 213, which will ban the use of pyrotechnics in a club without a permit and proof of insurance.
SB 29, which will repeal state law that ban s pagers and cell phones in schools, and allow local school boards to set their own policies.
SB 117, which will bar sheriffs and members of their immediate families from owning bail/bond, security, private investigation, or wrecker businesses.
SB 87, which will allow the creation of authorities at the local level to issue revenue bonds to pay for the construction of public safety facilities such as police and fire stations and EOCs.-Buzz Weiss

EMERGENCY MANAGER Summer 2003

2

Exceptional EMA

F rom the Cold War to the new war on terrorism, give and take a few tornadoes, hurricanes and forest fires in between, Ronald Widener has seen it all in his 50 years as emergency management agency (EMA) director of Toombs County in southeast Georgia.
Widener was working in in surance when he was tapped by state representati ve Joseph Simmons Alexander to lead the county's di saster preparedness efforts. Any hopes for a cushy job with a large salary were quickly dashed, however. "He told me the job didn ' t pay anything," Widener recalls, "so I worked as a volunteer."
The year was 1953 , and civil defense was the topic dujour. People li ved in fea r of a nuclear attack, schoolchildren practiced duck and cover, and communities built fa ll ou t shelte rs. Back then, Widener's bi ggest chall enges were training, fundin g and organizing the fl edgling Lyons Civil Defense Department.
Prov ing once again that the more things change, the more they stay the same, traini ng remains a top pri ority today at what is now known as Toombs County EMA. Training sess ions are held tw ice a month . In additi on, Toombs County EMA sends two peopl e to school bu s extrication training annuall y.
Funding also remains a challenge. Obtaining fundin g for search and rescue and fire equipment is ofte n difficult,

Widener says, although he is happily anticipating the arrival of two new fire trucks. Widener also relies on a staff of 30 volunteers to assist him in carrying out the EMA's myriad of duties. T hey operate HAM radios, recover bodies of drowning victims, find lost people and respond to disasters. However, "It's hard to ask people to meet when you can' t pay them," Widener laments.
Nestled near the Georgia coast, Toombs County is perhaps best known as the home of the Vidali a oni on. While fallout shelters are now a thing of the past, the county remain s susceptible to natural di sasters such as tornadoes and hurricanes as well as man-made disasters. The nuclear facility Pl ant Hatch is located adj acent to the county, although Widener is more concerned about a possibl e incident in volving hazardous materials on one of the many highways that traverse the county.
To keep the more th an 26,000 residents of hi s county safe, Widener cul tivates partnershi ps with local and state government agencies , volunteer organizati ons, pri vate businesses and the community. For instance, the Ameri can Red Cross trains hurricane shelter managers, and The Southern Company helped to fund the county's emergency operations center (EOC).
"I am glad and proud to have these people working with me," he says.

Home to the Vidalia onion, Toombs County is a quaint community near the Georgia coast. However, it is not immune to disaster.

OR

Toombs County EMA Director Ron Widener

Those partnerships were cruc ial in

1979, when Hu1Ticane David, a Category

2 hurricane, grazed Savannah, bringing

flooding, high winds that downed trees

and power li nes, and hundreds of evac-

uees to Toombs County in search of safe-

ty and shelter. The community united in

the face of the county's worst disaster.

Many residents opened their homes to the

evacuees. Others cared for pets.

This spirit of community has inspi red

Widener's work fo r the last 50 years.

"People have been kind to me," he says.

Asked about any recogniti on he has

received during hi s half century of serv-

ice, Widener will mumble that he is a fo r-

mer pres ident of the Emergency

Manageme nt Associati on of Georgia

( 1976-1 977) . When further pressed, he

will reluctantly tell you he was once

named Citizen of the Year. He is eager to

change the topic to the accompli shments

of hi s staff. "A fi ne group of people," he

declares.

Despi te hi s longevity, Widener has

no pl ans to retire . "I love my job," he

says. 'Tm doing somethi ng different

every day ; each day is a challenge. And I

love do in g so methin g good fo r the

co mmunit y. "

However, hi s wife would prefer him

to relinquish hi s duties. "She wants me to

garden ," he says with a grin , "but I told

her that I'm not going to get on my knees

and pull flowers."

-Lisa Janak

3

Summer 2003 EMERGENCY MANAGER

In Brief

Seven Emergency Management Professionals Achieve Master Manager Status

State law requires that all county emergency managers or deputy directors appointed since July 1, J999, complete the Certified Emergency Manager training program. However, a select few have taken the initiative to exceed this obligation. Seven emergency management professionals were recognized for achieving the status of Master Certified Emergency Manager, at the Georgia Emergency Management Agency's (GEMA) recent Governor 's Emergency Management conference, held at the Jekyll Island Convention Center.
The 2002 recipients are: Daniel R. Brown, GEMA Communications Chief, Covi ngton ; Don T. Bryant, DublinLaurens County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director and Chief of the
Cartoon by Ed Westbrook, Jasper County EMA Director

Laurens County Fire

Department; Dennis T.

Jones, Jr., Chatham

County EMA Deputy

Director; Ann K. Lamb,

Mitchell County EMA

Director; Wesley Craig

Millsap, Bartow County

EMA Deputy Director;

Vickie S. Thompson,

GEMA Area Four Field

Coordinator and Johnny

Mack Wi ngers, Macon-

Bibb County EMA

Director.

The

Master

Certified Manager pro-

gram was initiated to

e ncourage local emer-

gency managers to

Governor Sonny Perdue (left), flanked by GEMA Director Mike Sherberger and GEMA Training Director Grant Moore, presents
Macon-Bibb County EMA Director Johnny Wingers with a
certificate recognizing him as a Master Certified Emergency Manager.

expand their knowledge and outreach in

their local comm unities. To achieve the

Master Certified Emergency Manager

status, applicants not only must complete

the Certified Emergency Manager

Program, but also fulfill additional train-

ing and program development initiatives.

In addition, applicants must have served a

minimum of five years in an emergency

management position in order to

participate in the program.



2003 EMAG Conference

The Emergency Management

Association of Georgia (EMAG) will

hold its annual conference

November 16-18, 2003, at the Sea

Palms Golf and Tennis Resort on

St. Simons Island.

The theme of this year's confer-

ence is "Change and New Ideas Can

Make a Stronger Future." To contact

the Sea Palms, call (912) 538-3351 or

1-800-841-6268. You may also visit

their Web site at www.seapalms.com.

For more information about the con-

ference, go to EMAG's Web site at

www.emagonline.com.



EMERGENCY MANAGER Summer 2003

4

GEMA a 1Silent Partner'

More Communities Are

Ql:mR eady NATIONAL

T he Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) joined the Columbus Emergency Management Agency (CEMA), the Department of Defense Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC) and the District 7 Office of Emergency Preparedness at Silent Partner, a tabletop exercise held June 9 - 11 , 2003, in Muscogee County that evaluated plans for responding to a radiological event.
Part of WHINSEC's civil military operations training course, this exercise enabled international military leaders and police officials from 19 Latin

American countries to demonstrate the

skills they learned during their time at

Fort Benning. Players worked through

interpreters to communicate with repre-

sentatives from local and state agencies

such as the Columbus Police

Department, Muscogee County

She1iff's Office, Columbus Emergency

Medical Service and the Georgia

Bweau of Investigation.

The exercise underscored the

importance of interagency and interna-

tional cooperation in preventing or

reducing the effects of all types of

disasters around the world, whether nat-

ural or man-made.



Earthquake Jostles Large Area of State

A pre-dawn earthquake rattled large areas of Georgia at 4:59 a.m. April 30, 2003, startling residents and lighting up 9-1-1 lines , but causing \.little, if any, damage.
The quake was centered 15 miles east-northeast of Fort Payne, Alabama, near the Georgia line. The U.S. Geological Survey termed it a "light" earthquake, registering 4.5 on the Richter Scale.

GEM A's 24-hour comm uni cations center received calls from local authorities throughout the state, including southwest Georgia and as far east as South Carolina. But there were no reports of injuries or damage and no requests for assistance.

B ryan , Candler, Cobb, Coweta, Fu lton , Liberty, Lowndes and Screven counties have joined the

growing list of recognized StormReady

communities. StormReady, a program

initiated by the National Weather Service

(NWS) in partnership with GEMA and

the Emergency Management Association

of Georgia (EMAG), is designed to

encourage communities to create a

severe weather action plan.

Although spec ific StormReady

guidelines vary depending on the size of

the community, to be designated in the

program requires the following:

Establish a 24-hour warning point

and emergency operations center;

Develop more than one way to

receive and disseminate severe weather

warnings and forecasts to alert the

public;

Create a system that monitors local

weather conditions;

Promote public readiness through

community seminars; and

Develop a formal hazardous weath-

er plan, which includes training severe

weather spotters and conducting emer-

gency exercises.

"Citizens in a StormReady commu-

nity can take comfort in the fact that their

local leaders have achieved a standard

level of protection from hazardous

weather," says Lans Rothfusz, meteorol-

ogist-in-charge at the NWS office in

Peachtree City, Georgia, and chairman of

the StormReady advisory board.

There are 40 StormReady counties

in Georgia. They are: Appling, Atkinson,

Bacon, Bartow, Beffien, Bibb, Caffoll,

Chatham, Cherokee, Clayton, Clinch,

Columbia, Douglas, Effingham, Fayette,

Gwinnett, Habersham, Haralson, Hall,

Jackson, Laurens, McDuffie, Mitchell,

Paulding, Richmond, Screven, Tattnall,

Troup, Union, Upson, Ware and

Wayne.



5

Summer 2003 EMERGENCY MANAGER

More Counties Will Get Enhanced 9-1-1
Thanks to Grant from One Georgia
By Elaine Sexton 9-1 -1 Program Administrator

T here is no question that in an emergency, seconds save lives - and Enhanced 9-1-1 (E9- l-l) saves

seconds by providing the caller's loca-

tion, making it possible to find people

who do not know where they are or are

unable to speak. However, implementing

E9- l-1 is costly, which is one of the mai n

reasons why there are 31 counties in

Georgia that do not provide this valuable,

life-saving service. Fortunately, this situa-

tion is changing.

Last August, OneGeorgia Authority,

which distributes loans and grants to local

governments to stimulate economic

development, awarded $3 million in grant

funds for regional E9- l- l centers at the

req uest of Lieutenant Governor and

Authority Vice Chair Mark Taylor.

"It is unthinkable that over 250,000

Georgians are currently without the most

basic of emergency services - the 9-1-1

call ," says Lieutenant Governor Taylor.

Funding wi ll be made available to

counties that enter into multi-

jurisdictional, or regional , service agree-

ments. "Most of these counties are too

smal l to be able to support E9-l -l on an

ongoing basis," Taylor explains, "but with

grants for equipment and start-up costs,

we can encourage them to work together

to establish a regional system that is

financially sustainable for each

participating jurisdiction."

To receive the funds, at least one of

the participating counties cannot already

provide or contract for any 9-1-1 service.

The amount of the grant will depend on

the number of counties involved in the

proposed regional 9-1-1 center.

Two counties

$400,000

Three counties

500,000

Four counties

600,000

Five or more counties 700,000

Some counties have already formed

9-1-1 Authorities and applied for these

grants. Congratulations to the Tri-County

9-1-1 Authority, which comprises

Atkinson, Clinch and Lanier counties, and the Middle Flint 9-1-1 Authority, composed of Dooly, Macon, Marion, Schley, Sumter, Taylor and Webster counties, for being the first 9-1-1 centers in the state to be formed as regional centers governed by a 9- 1-1 Authority. Discussions are under way with other counties, as well.
If your county does not have E9- l - l , you cannot miss this chance to get some much-needed financial help. The best place to start is with your neighbors. Are there counties around you that want to start an E9-1-1 system, but the general fund or the number of telephone subscribers just cannot support the start-up costs? If you got together and developed a

regional 9-1-1 center, could you make it work using funds from a grant for start-up costs?
Conversely, perhaps your county has an existing E9- l -1 system. Would you like to expand your system and provide E9- l- l for your neighbor? If so, you could qualify for a regional 9-1-1 funding grant if the proposed system involves at least one county without 9-1-1 service.
We can make this dream of having E9-1-1 services available in every county in Georgia a reality by working together.
For more information, contact GEMA's 9-1-1 Program Administrator Elaine Sexton at (770) 535-5490 or by e-mail at esexton@gema.state.ga.us.

9-1-1 Appreciation Day

March 25 was proclaimed 9-1-1 Appreciation Day in Georgia. As part of the festivities, Governor Sonny Perdue and his wife Mary honored the children of Georgia who properly and successfully dialed 9-1-1 in an emergency. Joining them for the photo are (first row, left to right) Joshua Umbehant and Sophie Rigby, (second row, left to right) Tony King, M.C. Lee and Cody Thompson, (third row, left to right) Derrick Cornatzer, Shabria Page, Christopher Jenkins, Seok Won (Terry) Jang and Zachary Taylor, (fourth row, left to right) Justin Bartlett, Jessica Bolman, Sam Conway, Brittany Mays, Giles Roberts, Christen Jenkins and Christina Warren. Missing is Brittany Cornatzer.

EMERGENCY MANAGER Summer 2003

6

Homeland Security Grants, New Division Mark Progress in
Anti-terror Plans
By Buzz Weiss Public Affairs Coo rdinator

L ocal governments are getting a fin ancial shot in the arm as new federal funds are coming th rough the pipeline to help pay fo r local anti-terrori sm and homeland security initi ati ves . A reorgani zati on of the Georgia Emergency Ma nagement Agency (GEMA), meanwhil e, will redirect a sizable segment of GEMA's resources to the war on terrori sm.
The FBI defines terrorism as the unl awful use of fo rce or violence against pe rson s or propert y to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population , or any segment thereof, in furth erance of politi cal or soci al obj ecti ves . Whil e terrorism has always been a priority fo r GEMA, its scope has expanded in recent years.
A $ 14 million federal award to Georgia was announced in early June. Of that amount, $9 .9 million is earmarked for equipment, including $7.96 million that will be di sbursed to counties and mun icipalities. Now, first responders will have the equipment they need to handl e weapons of mass destruction (WMD) incidents, as well as to assist the state with strategic pl anning and needs assess ment.
The new funding program marks a drastic and welcome shift in the way federal doll ars can be used. Previous grants from the Department of Justice Office of Domestic Preparedness, were less flexible, and local governments received a smaller share. The current program under the Department of Homeland Security not only targets local governments, but more accurately reflects the needs and priorities of local officials.
In Georgia, eight regional AllHazards Councils are focal points of the grant process. The councils assess regional needs , solicit grant proposals from local governments in their region , and prioritize them. The proposals are then reviewed by GEMA before being sent on
7

to the Offi ce of Domestic Preparedness for a fi nal decision. Grant a pplication packages have been posted on GEMA's Web site at www.gema.state.ga.us.
"This process underscores the fact that local authorities are the firs t responders, and that state and federal assets are suppl emental," says GEMA Director Mike Sherberger.
T he All-Hazards Co uncils were established last year to bring together community leaders and key consequence managers to develop preparedness,

Funding first responders will always be a priority for GEMA's new TERP division - the 2003 State Homeland Security Grant Program mandates that 80 percent of funding is passed down to the local level. The grant money will be used to purchase hazardous materials, heavy rescue and interoperable communications equipment.

response and recovery strategies for all disasters, both natural and man-made, in their regions. The councils are composed of two sheriffs, two police chiefs, two public health directors , two fire chiefs, two emergency medical service directors, two medical examiners or coroners, two 9-1-1 directors, two emergency managers, two mayors, two county commissioners and one agricultural representative. Additional members may be added.

"The councils are critical to the idea of including local responders in the effort to create regional response capabilities, and to identify resources and fill gaps ," said Fayette County Emergency Management Agency Director Jack Krakeel , who chairs the Area 7 AllHazards Council.
'There is great value in the opportunity to interact before an incident occurs," Krakeel adds.
Summer 2003 EMERGENCY MANAGER

Grants will be awarded on a per capi-

ta bas is, as well as by specific criteria

including the ex istence of mutual aid

agreements , needs assessments, and align-

ment with state and regional strategic

pl ans. The lion's share of grants to local

govern ments will be used for interopera-

bl e com mun ications eq uipment, haz-

ardous materials equi pment, and heavy

rescue apparatus.

Sherberger noted that equipment pur-

chased with the grants will not only pre-

pare local communities to respond to

WMD incidents, but will improve routine

emergency response capabilities th rough-

out the state.

The latest grants and the stronger

emphasis on regional and local planning

dovetail with the reorgani zation plan that

pl aced GEMA under the Georgia Office

of Homeland Security, headed by Bill

Hitchens, who Governor Sonny Perdue

appointed in January. The retooling of

GEMA also includes the creation of a new

Terro ri sm E mergency Respon se and

Preparedness (TERP) di vision , under

Ralph Reichert, which has ass umed duties

prev iously handled by the terrorism pl an-

ning unit and is al so taking on expanded

operational responsibiliti es.

The di vision focu ses on funding and

grants management, planning, training,

agroterrorism, intelligence and awareness,

and its members serve on each of the

Homeland Security Task Force Working

Groups. Coordinating and assisting with

statewide anti-terrorism training and exer-

ci ses will become more of a focu s for the

new division in the future. GEMA person-

nel continue to serve on the multi-agency

Georgia Information Sharing and Analysis

Center (GISAC) and the Critical

Infrastructure Analysis Unit.

Reichert noted that GEMA's anti-

terrorism efforts predate the events of

September 11 , 2001 , going back more

than a decade to the announcement that

Atlanta would host the 1996 Olympics.

Thousands of first responders and emer-

gency personnel have been trained in a

variety of counter-terrorism procedures

since that time, and a Weapons of Mass

Destruction Working Group was formed

in 1999.

Sherberger said the most recent ini-

tiatives reflect GEMA's ongoing commit-

ment to its mission. "Even as we empha-

size homeland security, we are not mov-

ing away from our other responsibilities,"

he concludes.



Q &A With Mike Sherberger

Mike Sherberger was appointed

Director of the Georgia Emergency

Management Agency (GEMA) by

Governor Sonny Perdue on

March 18, 2003.

Sherberger most recently served as

Senior Advisor fo r Homeland Security

at the Centers fo r Disease Control in

Atlanta. Prior to j oining the CDC in

December 2002, he was the Assistant

Director f or GEMA f or 13 years.

Sherberger also is an adjunct prof essor

of criminal justice at Georgia State

Uni versity and a consultant f or the U.S.

Department of Hom eland Security,

Office of Domestic Preparedness. He

has 30 years of experience in public

safety.

Recently,

Public Affairs

Coordinator Buzz Weiss sat do wn with

Sherberger to talk about his new job.

[1] What is your vision for GEMA? I would like to see GEMA
A continue to build on its accomplishments . We have earned a national reputation for our aggressive and proactive initiatives that reflect developing trends. And I would like to see us stay ahead of the curve as we develop new programs to not only address the threat of te1rn1ism, but to carry out our duties from an "all hazards" perspective. I think we are doing the right things in the right way, and that should guide us as we move forward.

[1] What are GEMA's biggest challenges?
A I don 't look at challenges in a negative sense, but I see them as opportunities. With that in mind , I think our main challenge is for GEMA is to stay focused on the core values we share with our partners in the emergency management and public safety communities, as we take on the threat of terrorism while continuing to deal with the other hazards - the natural hazards that Georgia faces. And we were reminded of those threats with the heavy rains and flooding that hit

several areas of the state in May and June, and with the prediction of an above-average hurricane season. The sluggish economy also presents a special chall enge that will compel us to look for innovative ways to use new technology and our extensive experience make Georgia safer.

[1] Are any new initiatives planned?

A What we do is a work in progress and, with that in mind, we are making some major

organi zational changes. Most notably,

GEMA is now a part of the Georgia

Office of Homeland Security, which

will enhance our "all hazards" capabili-

ties. Another part of our reorganization

effort is the creation of a new TeITorism

and Emergency Response Preparedness

Division, which is a major operational

component of GEMA. It will not only

continue the work of what was former-

ly our teITorism planning unit, but will

take on expanded responsibilities in the

areas of grants management, planning,

training, and intelligence. We are

revisiting our relationship with local

governments through the All-Hazards

Councils that were established last year.

These councils, which prioritize the

applications for federal homeland

security grants, give local officials more

control over identifying their needs, and

developing preparedness and response

plans. We need to remember that local

governments are the first responders,

and that state and federal assets are

supplemental. We are also moving for-

ward with the formation and training of

Community Emergency Response

Teams (CERT) that create opportunities

for citizens to take part in volunteer

programs that support public safety

efforts during disasters or

emergencies.



EMERGENCY MANAGER Summer 2003

8

GEMA Organizes Regional
All-hazards Councils
By Joe T McKinney Terrorism Unit Chief

Georgia has well-established and much-practiced mechanisms rn pl ace to respond to disasters and other large-scale emergencies. However, in the wake of 2001 's terrorist attacks aoo-ain st the United States, it became evident that better planning and communication among federal, state and local emergency responders and government officials would further enhance Georgia's ability to rapidly and effecti vely respond to large-scale disasters. To improve communication and help fight terrorism at the local level, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) has organized eight Regional All Hazards Counci ls.
Fac ilitated by GEMA's area field coordinators, these councils bri ng together community leaders and key consequence managers to develop preparedness, response and recovery strategies for all disasters, both natural and man-made, for their region. Council s are composed of two sheriffs, police chiefs , public health directors, fire chiefs, emergency medical services di rectors, medical examiners , 9-1-1 center directors, emergency managers, mayors and county commi ssioners and one agric ultu ral representative. Additional members may be added as needed.
The mission of these councils is to:
improve local, state and federal information sharing, identify critical regional infrastructure and potential terrorist targets,
prepare regional response plans, facilitate mutual aid agreements for communities to share reso urces,
identify capacity needs, conduct training and exercises, and bring federal Citizen Corps programs to local communities.
The first council was established in Atl anta in September 2002, and the seven others soon followed. They have proven to be a valuable asset to state and local

0 Georgia Emergency Man age~ent Agency

All Hazards Councils

GEMA

April 1, 2003

communities in their continuing fig ht against terrorism and other hazards.
Every state and local jurisdiction faces the difficult challenge of ensuring that citi zens, e mergency responders , essential government services and private

property are protected from the conse-

quences of a terro ri st attack. Although

much progress has been made, we must

remain co mmitted and ever vigil ant

Jest we allow hi story to repeat

itself.



9

Summer 2003 EMERGENCY MANAGER

Grassroots Programs That Prepare for Disaster Take Root in Georgia
By Keith Wages Statewide Planning Director

Georgia Citizen Corps Councils
Since September 11 , 2001 , there has been a res urgence in volunteerism throughout the nati on as well as in Geo rgia. T he Georgia E mergency Management Agency (GEMA) is working with the Bush admini strati on to support communi ty-based efforts through Georgia Citizen Corps, a grassroots initiati ve that encourages volun teeri sm to enhance local emergency management sys te m s.
"Georgia Citi zen Corps is a locall y driven ini tiati ve that bri ngs together leaders fro m the public and private sector with the goal of harnessing the vol unteer sp irit and talents of Georg ians throug hout the state," says GEMA Director M ike Sherberger.
Georg ia Citizen Corps wil l prepare ord inary Americans to manage smallsca le emergenc ies and engage in homeland security efforts through a variety of programs, including local C itizen Corps Co uncil s, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and Medical Reserve Corps (MRC).
Local Citi zen Corps Council s work in cooperati on with county emergency management agencies to bring together community leaders to manage volunteer resources and impl ement new initi ati ves, such as CERT.
Created by the City of Los Angeles Fire Department in 1987, CERT promotes commu nity self-sufficiency thro ugh

developi ng response teams that are inte- paredness; fire suppression; disaster med-

grated into local emergency services dur- ical operations such as triage, treating

ing major di sasters. The program works life-th reatenin g inj uries , assessment,

like thi s: Emergency personnel teach treatment and hygiene; light search and

members of neighborhood, community rescue; team organization and di saster

and bu siness organi zation s bas ic psychology.

response skills, then the volunteers are

Anoth er co mponent of Georgia

integrated into the emergency response in Citizen Corps is the MRC, wh ich will

their area. Since 1994, the Federa l coordinate the skill s of volunteer physi-

Emergency Management Agency cians, nurses, paramedi cs and other health

(FEMA) has been promoting the nation- profess ionals du ring an emergency. MRC

wide use of CERT, and many communi- volunteers may deli ver necessary public

ties have establi shed these teams.

hea lth services durin g a cri sis, ass ist

In Georgia, CERT training will be emergency response teams with patient

conducted by local Citi zen Co rps care and provide care to those with less

Council s in coordination with public safe- seri ous injuri es or illnesses. Community

ty agencies. In order to be efficiently inte- offici als will develop their own MRC and

grated into existing emergency manage- identify their duties according to the com-

ment systems, councils must be spon- munity's needs.

sored by a local emergency management,

For more info rmation about how you

government or state agency in vo lved in can help, visit the Georgia Citizen Corps

emergency response and preparedness.

Web site at www.gac itizencorps.org. To

There are many benefits to CERT learn more about the national Citizen

training. During a major natural or man- Corps in iti ative, visit www.c iti zen-

made disaster, the capability of a local corps.gov/index .htrnl.



publi c safety com-

munity can be over-

whelmed, particul ar-

ly in the firs t 12 to 72

hours of an event.

C iti zens who are pre-

pared to take care of

themselves and their

neighbors du ring

times of crises will

enable Geo rgia 's

dedicated and very

capable public safety

offi cials to foc us

their attenti on on the

most

c riti ca l,

li fe - thr e at e ning s ituat ion s .
Th e 24-hour CERT training course incl udes disaster pre-

Approximately 2 0 em ergency personnel fro m Bleckley, Clinch, Coffee, Jeff Davis and Ware counties became the firs t in Georgia to complete a 24-hour CERT Tra in-the-Tra in er course sponsored by GEMA, which was held June 7 - 8, 2003, at the Satil/a Regional Medical Center in Waycross.

EMERGENCY MANAGER Summer 2003

10

GA-3 DMAT Delivers 'Best Care, Anywhere'
By Judith Edwards DMAT Commander

R adios crackle as khaki-clad volunteers raise tents and carry medical supplies across a grassy field.

disaster site with enough medical supplies and equipment to house, feed and care for patients for up to 72 hours. GA-

Within a few hours the team has set up a 3 DMAT is the onl y Level 1 team in

medical encampment that can treat 250 Georgia.

patients a day. This may look like a disas-

When the 35-member GA3-DMAT

ter scene, but it's not. It is one of many team of physicians, nurses, paramedics,

GA-3 Disaster Medical Assistance Team pharmacists, logi sticians, communica-

(GA-3 DMAT) training exercises that tions specialists and administrative staff

prepare members to deploy to an actual arrive at a di saster site, they are prepared

incident with only a few hours' notice.

to work for up to two weeks with limited

GA-3 DMAT is a non-profit organi- resources. Their mission is clear: Triage

zation that is part of the National Disaster patients, provide austere medical care,

Medical System (NDMS), a federally prepare patients for evacuation, and assist

coordinated asset-sharing program that local healthcare professionals.

supplements a community's emergency

However, GA-3 DMAT has another,

medical response capability during an more personal mission that is best

overwhelming disaster. The goal of expressed by the words on their team

NDMS is to establish a single, integrated patch, "Best care, anywhere." These vol-

national medical response capability to unteers take time from work and family to

assist state and local authorities in dealing provide medical assistance to those in

with the medical and health effects of dis- need. From their first deployment to

asters. This goal is accomplished through Hurricane Andrew in 1992, GA-3 DMAT

rapid-response DMAT teams.

volunteers have participated in numerous

DMAT teams include professional major disasters and other events, includ-

medical person- ing the Georgia floods of 1994, the

nel who help Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta in

overwhelmed 1996, the North Dakota floods in 1998,

comm uniti es the terrorist attacks in Washington , D.C.

provide emer- and New York Oin 2001 , and in the Salt

gency medical Lake City Olympic Games and the Guam

care during a dis- typhoon in 2002.

aster. Formed in

So - the radios are on (check). The

1991, GA-3 tents are up and the medical supplies are

DMAT became ready to go (check). The GA3-DMAT

'\

one of the first team is in full uniform and has set up an

teams rn the encampment that can treat 250 patients

.I

nation to be des- each day during a disaster (check and

ignated as Level check). This time, it's a training exercise.

1. To receive But if GA-3 DMAT is called up for

Level 1 status, deployment, the team is ready to go. And

GA3-DMAT had when they get there, wherever that may

to meet strict be, under whatever conditions they may

requirements , face, members of GA-3 DMAT know that

demonstrating the kind of medical care they provide will

The GA-3 DMAT team members prepare for possible deployment to a the team could disaster scene at Red Top, a comprehensive exercise that tested the quickly activate

be the best care anywhere. For more information on GA-3

skills of volunteer medical professionals.

and arrive at a DMAT, visit www.ga3-dmat.org.



11

Summer 2003 EMERGENCY MANAGER

GEMA and GSP Team Up for School Bus Safety
By John F. Cleveland, Area School Safety Coordinator and Steve Harris, School Safety Project Manager

School buses are considered the safest form of transportation on the road. Each year, nearly 500,000 school buses take approximately 10 billion trips in the United States. In Georgia, approximately 15,000 school buses transport an estimated 1 million children to and from school and related activities each day. According to the School Bus Information Council, on average, only six people were killed in school buses between 1990 and 2000, while 42,000 are killed annually in car and truck accidents.
However, recent world events have caused us to take a deeper look at cornerstones we consider safe and secure, including school bus transportation. Although there has not been a specific terrorist act against a school bus in Georgia, we need to remain alert and observant as we continue our daily activities.
This summer, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) teamed up with the Georgia State Patrol School Bus Safety Unit for the fourth consecutive year to present "School Bus Safety in Our Changing
EMERGENCY MANAGER Summer 2003

World ," a three-hour training course. Workshops were held in Statesboro, Waycross, Moultrie, Fort Valley, LaGrange, Calhoun, Mt. Airy, Athens and Jonesboro.
Nearly 5,000 school bus drivers , monitors and transportation directors participated in the session , which covered topics such as school bus safety measures and bus manufacturers ' enhancements for bus safety, why transportation systems could be potential targets for terrorism and school bus safety precautions relevant to the national threat levels.
Below are some questions that drivers and transportation supervisors might think about to help make their school bus transportation safer:
Is the school bus secure in the bus garage and while parked overnight? Are the keys removed from the bus when unattended? Is a pre-trip inspection made inside and outside the bus prior to departure? Are authorities notified about suspicious activities around the bus? Is the bus returned to the bus garage when the driver is going out of town?

Is the bus parked in a well-lighted area? Is the bus visible from the driver's home if parked at a residence? Are trees and shrubs blocking the view of the bus ? If dogs are kept outside, are their pens located near the parked bus? Barking may deter intruders and alert the driver to suspicious activity. Is the bus door locked when the bus is unattended? Is there up-to-date bus accountability by the transportation director? Is vandalism or graffiti quickly reported, photographed and repaired? Do drivers know protocols for suspicious packages, substances and devices? Do drivers know what to do in the event of an armed student or intruder? Do buses have roof top numbers for easy recognition by aircraft in the event of theft or a hostage situation? Are bu ses inspected annually, serviced monthly and checked before and after each trip daily? Do drivers know their bu ses as well as teachers know their classrooms?
12

Georgia's NOAA Weather Radio Network Complete
By Lisa Ray Public Affairs Director

T he

Georgia

Emergency

Management Agency (GEMA) and

the National Weather Service

(NWS) announced the installation and

operation of a National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Weather Radio Transmitter in Turner

County during a ceremony at the Turner

County Board of Commissions office.

"We are extremely excited about this new transmjtter since it represents the final installation in our expansion proj ect," says GEMA Director Mike Sherberger. "Now Georgians in areas that did not have coverage can use NOAA Weather Radio to hear the vital weather information that could one day save their li ves."

Day Care Providers Learn to 1Play it Safe'

Georgia is susceptible to all forms of natural and man-made disasters. These events can occur at any time, and, unfortunately, day care facilities are not immune to their consequences. To help day care providers keep the children in their care safe when disaster strikes, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) conducted 15 free training classes throughout the state on how to use its Play It Safe tool kit.
The Play It Safe tool kit contains information that helps day care providers create an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). Although child care centers must address issues such as nutrition, health, equipment, supplies and transportation to be licensed by the Department of Human Resources (OHR), they are not required to have an EOP. However, a well-developed EOP will include clearly defined emergency procedures and roles for children and employees that help ensure everyone knows what to do when disaster strikes.

Issues covered in the training

include assembling a crisis manage-

ment team , evacuation procedures, fam -

ily reunification site protocols, incident

command, handling bomb threats, miss-

ing child response procedures, trans-

portation accidents involving hazardous

materials and severe weather incidents.

Day care providers are encouraged

to work with their

local emergency

management agency

(EMA) and other

emergency response

agencies when cre-

ating their EOPs.

Input from these

agencies wiJI only

make the EOP more

effective.

Participants not

only received two hours of credit from

DHR for attending the training, they

also had the opportunity to receive a

free NOAA Weather Radio from their

local EMA director.

The 64-page Play lt Safe guide-

book can be downloaded in pdf format

from GEMA's Web site at

www.gema.state.ga.us. To receive a

copy of the Play It Safe video, call

(404) 635-7000 or toll-free in Georgia

at 1-800-TRY-GEMA.



13

In 1998, the Governor 's Task Force

on Warning and Communication identi-

fied more than 20 Georgia counties with-

out NOAA Weather Radio coverage and

numerou s others with only partial cover-

age. Since then, GEMA, working in part-

nership with NWS , has expanded cover-

age throughout the state. The Turner

County transmitter is last in a series of 19

that are now operational. New transmit-

ters also are broadcasting in Americus,

Ashburn , Blakely, Blue Ridge, Brasstown

Bald, Brunswick, Buchanan, Clayton,

Cleveland, Eastman, Eatonton, Hahira,

Jesup, LaGrange, Metter, Sandersville,

Summerville, Toccoa and Valdosta.

The transmitter was in stalled by

NWS with the cooperation of the Turner

County Board of Commissioners and the

Turner County Emergency Management

Agency. It will provide coverage to citi-

zens in a number of southwest Georgia

counties, including Ben Hill, Crisp, Irwin,

Tift, Turner, Wilcox and Worth, which

were previously unable to receive vital

weather warnings from the existing

NOAA network.

The broadcast from the new transmit-

ter has been programmed by the NWS

forecast office in Tallahassee, Florida and

can be heard on radio frequency 162.450

MHz.



Summer 2003 EMERGENCY MANAGER

Statewide Tornado Drill Becomes
Severe Weather Drill
GEMA and State Fire Marshal Introduce New Severe Weather Procedures to Improve School Safety
By Greg Padgett, State Hurricane Planner

Severe weather is most likely to occur between 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in

Moreover, schools will now be required to complete post-drill reports

Georgia, a time when students

online after a fire or severe

are either in school or participat-

weather drill is conducted

ing in after-school activities. In

or after responding to an

the past, several Georgia schools

actual fire or severe weather

have been damaged by severe

event. Those repmts can be

weather. In March 1998, for

filed at https://www.

instance, a twister touched down

gainsurance.org/

in Hall and White counties just

SECAPPS/SCHOOL

minutes before students and Children at Tritt Elementary practice taking cover from a tornado FIREDRILL.asp.

teachers were due in school , during Severe Weather Awareness Week 2003.

To learn more about

leaving 13 residents dead. The

the new severe weather pro-

storm also severely damaged North Hall (GEMA) and the Georgia Insurance and cedures

in

Georgia,

visit

High School and Lanier Elementary and Safety Fire Commissioner have teamed www.gema.state.ga.us and click on the

hurled an empty school bus hundreds of up to allow schools to conduct two severe School Safety section. Or, you may con-

yards; had it stuck just an hour later, it is weather drills in place of two regularly tact GEMA directly at (404) 635-7000 or

likely the death count would have been scheduled fire drill s. The statewide torna- call toll-free in Georgia at

considerably higher.

do drill has been replaced by the 1-800-TRY-GEMA.



To prepare for such incidents, statewide severe weather drill to meet the

schools have been encouraged to partici- requirements of the State Fire Code and

pate in a statewide tornado drill , which has been conducted each February during Severe Weather Awareness Week. However, this drill did not prepare schools for the other severe weather risks that may impact them , such as thunderstorms, lightning and flooding. "While tornadoes get a lot of attention, people are more likely to be affected by severe thunderstorms and lightning, strong gusty winds, and large hail here in Georgia," says meteorologist Barry Gooden of the National Weather Service.
Also, as many school districts across Georgia rely on portable classrooms to deal with increasing populations, more drills are needed to teach children and faculty in these structures proper safety procedures during severe weather.
To help schools better prepare for hazardous weather, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency

to reflect its increased scope. The procedures for conducting the
severe weather drills will remain the same as those for the tornado drill. An alert will be broadcast over National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA) Radio to signal schools to begin the drill. However, schools will now evacuate students from portable classrooms when a severe thunderstorm Warning is issued as well as when a tornado Warning is issued.
Also, severe weather drills may now be held earlier in the school year, in November, as well as in February. "This will be an excellent opportunity for schools to have additional preparation time for the threat of severe weather," says GEMA Director Mike Sherberger. "Drills are important in emphasizing the need to plan, and the more drills you conduct, the more likely students and teachers will be prepared."

Mark Your Calendar

Next year's Severe Weather

Awareness Week will be February

22 - 28, 2004. This annual obser-

vance is designed to educate

Georgians about safety, preparedness,

and response procedures for a variety

of severe weather events, such as

floods , hurricanes, lightning, thunder-

storms, tornadoes, and winter storms.

In addition to publicizing

weather safety measures and severe

weather events through the local news

media, the first statewide severe

weather drill is scheduled for

Wednesday, February 25. The drill

will be initiated by the National

Weather Service. Schools, churches,

businesses, industries, and local gov-

ernments are encouraged to

participate.



EMERGENCY MANAGER Summer 2003

14

Georgia Hit Hard by Springtime Severe Weather
By Lisa Janak Editor

T:ey say lightning doesn't strike wice. The same can 't be said for ornadoes. Two tornadoes touched down in M itchell and Worth counties in the early morn ing hours of Wednesday, March 20, killing six , injuring more than 200 and damaging approximately 300 homes.
One of the tornado's swath stretched 22 miles long and up to a half mile wide. It was a scenario eeril y similar to one that occu1Ted three years earlier. Violent tornadoes roared through the same area just before midnight on February 13 , 2000, leaving 21 people dead. A Presidential disaster declaration was issued fo ll owing these storms.
Although the damage was not quite as severe this time around, Worth County Sheriff Freddie Tompkins compared the tornadoes to "a big lawnmower." After touring the disaster area with GEMA Director Mike

Sherberger, Governor Sonny Perdue declared a State of Emergency for Mitchell and Worth counti es, allowing state resources to be used in recovery efforts. State Disaster Housing Assistance and low interest loans from the Small Business Adm ini stration (SBA) became avail able to eligible victim s.
This was just one of several severe storms that wreaked havoc and kept the Georgi a Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) on its toes this spring. Thunderstorm s, which often brought damaging winds and hail the size of golf balls, pounded most of Georgia, swelling creeks, rivers and lakes and downing trees and power lines.
Many counties experienced flooding. While most sustained minor damage, in Troup County, West Point Lake rose dangero usly, forc ing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to release water in order to preserve the integrity

15

Summer 2003 EMERGENCY MANAGER

of the West Point Dam. Consequentl y, more than 200 residents in Troup, Harris and Meriwether counties evacuated, and approximately 60 homes were flooded. Interstate Highway 85 was closed at the Alabama line after the rising water threatened to wash over a bridge.
Once again, Governor Perdue declared a State of Emergency after touring the site, this time for Troup, Harris and Meriwether counties. Unfort unately, the damage to roads and infrastructures fe ll well short of the $9.1 million needed to qualify for federal assistance. However, homeowners affected by the flood cou ld qualify for SBA loans.
And just when we thought it was safe to put away our umbrellas, Bill , the second tropical storm system of the year, plowed ashore in Louisiana. After damaging thousands of homes and businesses there, the weakening remnants spread heavy rain to the already saturated Georgia so il. No rth Georgia experienced severe flooding. In addition , strong winds toppled trees and downed power lines in Emanuel and Jefferson counties.
Despite all of the headaches, the rain did have a positive impact, ending the

This 250 ft. , galvanized steel cell phone tower atop Sand Mountain in Dade County was toppled by extremely high winds after a severe thunderstorm rolled through in June. Concrete pilings that had been buried 29 feet underground were pulled up like stubborn weeds. The wind rating for the tower was 70 mph.

four-year drought. But with rainfall reaching new records - according to the National Weather Service, the nearly 10 inches measured in Atlanta during the

month of May amounted to the second

largest amount ever recorded - most

people are ready for sunny skies to appear

again.



Storm Spotter Training Alternatives Now Available

M any people spend time talking about the weather, but there are a select few who take their fascination of climactic conditions a step fu rther by becoming storm spotters.
The Nati onal Weath er Service (NWS) Forecast Office in Peachtree City, in cooperation with the Cobb County Emergency Management Agency, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and Clark-Atlanta University, have produced a training video and CD-ROM designed to instruct the public safety community on how to report storm information to NWS.
Trained volunteer storm spotters work in conjunction with the NWS SKYWARN program. Storm spotters participate in an organized effort to share vital "ground truth" information with forecasters during severe weather

episodes, serving as the eyes and ears for NWS and their community.
The storm spotter video focuses on thunderstorm structure, tornado formation, and visual clues present prior to and during tornado events. Information on tornado safety and reporting procedures are also covered. The interactive CD ROM also provides additional training and tests the knowledge of participants.
"Satellite imagery and Doppler

radar provide critical information for

meteorologi sts, but this technology does

not tell us what is actually occurring on

the ground - like the size of hail that has

fallen," says Lans Rothfusz, meteorolo-

gist-in-charge of the NWS Weather

Forecast Office in Peachtree City.

"Spotters are c1itical in the warning

process since they are located through-

out the state and can report activity as it

occurs. These volunteers serve as one of

our most valuable assets when it comes

to improving public safety."

Storm spotter videos are available

free of charge by mailing a request on

your agency letterhead to the Georgia

Emergency Management Agency, Post

Office Box 18055, Atlanta, Georgia

30316-0055.

For more information on storm

spotter training, visit the NWS Web site

at http ://www.srh .noaa.gov/ftproot/ffc/

htmJ/spotschd .shtml#sec 1.



EMERGENCY MANAGER Summer 2003

16

Forecasters Eye

-~

'Above Normal'

Hurricane Season

By Greg Padgett, State Hurricane Planner

/

and Buzz Weiss, Public Affairs Coordinator

Georgians should hunker down for what weather forecasters say will likely be an "above normal" 2003 hurricane season. The National Ocean ic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts that 11 to 15 tropical storms will develop over the course of the season that began June 1 and will continue through November 30. Six to nine of those storms will develop into hurricanes, and as many as four of them will be major hurricanes, which are classified as Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.
The average hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin, which comprises the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, spawns ten tropical storms , including six hurricanes . However, tropical activity has been vigorous recently, with above normal activity recorded six of the last eight years . Georgia is vu lnerable to hurricanes and

The 2003

Hurricane

Planning

Guide is now

available. To

download

your copy, visit

the Georgia Emergency

Management Agency 's (GEMA)

Web site at www.gema.state.ga.us.

Or, to get the plan on CD, call (404)

635 -7000 or toll-free in Georgia at

1-800-TRY-GEMA. The plan is in

pdf format and requires Adobe

Acrobat to view. The software can

be downloaded from GEMA's Web

s ite .



17

tropical storms formi ng in both the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mex ico.
Predictions of an above-normal season are based on a number of variables, includ ing weaker trade winds, warmer Atlantic Ocean temperatures, and the development of La Nina, which tends to reduce the vertical wind shear that suppresses hurricane development.
"This combination of factors creates a high likelihood of an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season," said Dr. Gerry Bell of NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. "If La Nina conditions develop as expected, the activity could well be in the upper portion of our predicted range."
"On average, two to three hurricanes hit the United States in seasons such as this , but we cannot say at thi s time whether a particular locality will be impacted by a hurricane," Bell concluded.
Twelve named storms developed last year, within the range of the nine to 13 that had been predicted. On ly four became hurricanes , however, due to an El Nino that strengthened considerably over the season, creating vertical wind shear and putting a damper on hurricane development. Between six to eight hurricanes had been predicted initially.
According to NOAA, a total of nine tropical storms and one hurricane have hit the U.S. coast over the past two years, causing 54 fatalities and more than $6 billion in damage. Eight of the storms, including Hurricane Lili, battered the U.S. coast last year. Georgia, fo r the most part, escaped the bru nt of the 2002 season, but Tropical Storm Hanna was responsible for destructive flooding in southwest Georgia in September.
NOAA has implemented an

expanded forecast system this year, which

hurricane experts hope will offer some

extra protection fo r residents of hurri-

cane-prone areas. Five-day forecasts will

be iss ued, replacing the three-day

cautionaries that had been used since

1964. The new five-day projections are

the resu lt of two years of testing by sever-

al NOAA research divisions that focused

largely on track error and the difference

between the predicted position of a

storm's center and its later, actual

position.

Although hurricane season officially

started June 1, this year's tropical activity

began prematurely with the formation of a

rare subtropical system in mid-April.

While it was never a threat to Georgia, the

system reached 39 mph and became Ana,

the first tropical storm to ever form in

April. Because this storm was named

Ana, the first named storm of the official

season was dubbed Bill.

Ana's early appearance was an inter-

esting meteorological aberration, but hur-

ricane experts warn against reading too

much into it. There does not appear to be

any correlation between an early start to

tropical storm development and the level

or intensity of hurricane activity over the

course of a season.

Georgia has not had a direct coastal

hit by a major huITicane in more that a

century, but two Gu lf storms did exten-

sive damage in recent years, including

Tropical Sto rm Alberto in 1994 and

Hurricane Opal in 1995 . Hundreds of

thousands of Georgians were among the

record 3.5 milli on people who evacuated

coastal areas of Georgia, Florida, and

South Carolina when Hurricane Floyd

threatened in 1999.



Summer 2003 EMERGENCY MANAGER

EMERGENCY MANAGER Summer 2003

2003 Hurricane Names

Hurricanes are named to ease

communication between forecasters

and the public regarding forecasts ,

watches, and warnings. Tropical

storms are named after they reach

sustained wind speeds of 39 mph.

This year's hurricane names are

Ana, Bill, Claudette, Danny, Erika,

Fabian, Grace, Henri, Isabel, Juan,

Kate, Larry, Mindy, Nicholas, Odette,

Peter, Rose, Sam, Teresa, Victor and

Wanda.



18

Pre-Disaster Mitigation
Planning in Georgia
By Paul Putman Senior Hazard Mitigation Planner

A s a result of changes made to the Staffo rd Act, state and loca l governme nts mu st meet new planning requirements to be eligible for mi tigati on and ce11ain types of publi c assistance funds. These new federa l regulati ons require governments to create predi saster mitigati on (PDM) plans that have detail ed hazard and risk assessments.
Every coun ty is unique, with diffe rent hazards, popul ation levels and property in harm's way, and the PDM plan shoul d fit each communi ty's needs.
All approved mitigati on pl ans must be in place by November 2003 in order for counties to be considered fo r disaster assistance. To help local governments meet the new requirements, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) is providing mitigation planning grants.
To be eligible fo r PDM funding, applicants must participate in and be in good standing with the National Flood In surance Program.
PDM grant applications must be postmarked or received at GEMA headquarters by September 12.
To date, 33 Georgia counties have been appro ved to receive a total of $8 60 ,043 to develop local miti gation strategies. Future miti gation pl anning grants wi ll be announced as fundin g becomes available.
All counties are encouraged to take the first steps in the pl anning effort, regardless of current fundin g. Many do not require anything but a few hours of time.
To ass ist the local pl anning effort, GEMA created the Hazard Analysis and Ri sk Assess ment (HARA) secti o n. HAR A staff will provide detailed data, maps, stati stics and GIS analys is of county-level hazard and risk assessment to local governments.
Personnel have been stationed at GEMA's Statesboro and Cordele field

offices to support local governments in this planning effort. For more informati on, call Debra Atlci nson in the Cordele field office at (229) 276-2774 , Paul Putn am or Scott Sherman in th e Statesboro fi e ld office at (9 12) 486-7942,

or M ichael Reeves in Atl anta at

(404) 635-7000 or toll-free in Georgia at

1-800 -TRY-G E M A.

In additi on, M ichael Newman will be

assisting with GIS analysis. He also can

be reached at the Atl anta number.



Here are some questions to help you get ready fo r hurricane season.
1) A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when it reaches sustained winds of: a) 64 mph b) 74 mph c) 95 mph d) 100 mph
2) What hurricane was upgraded to a Category 5 a decade after it hit? a) Hunicane Hugo b) Hurricane Camille c) Hurricane Andrew d) The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935
3) A hurricane's strongest winds usually occur: a) On the right side of the eyewall b) On the left side of the eyewall c) Directly in front of the path of the hurricane d) They vary widely
4) More than half of hurricane-related deaths in the U.S. are caused by: a) Drowning in 'freshwater floods' in inland areas b) Drowning along coastal areas c) Being struck by storm debris d) Heart attacks associated with preparing for the storm
D (p .'D ([ .':J (z .'q ([ S.Ja!IH'U\f

19

Summer 2003 EMERGENCY MANAGER

Partnerships Drive Emergency
Management's Success
By Buzz Weiss Public Affairs Coo rdinator

B etween disasters, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) conducts an ongoing and aggressive effort to make Georgia citizens aware of the threats that exist in our state and ways to prevent them or mitigate their impact. GEMA depends upon business, government, volunteer and nonprofit entities to ensure these public awareness initiatives are successful.
"Effective disaster preparedness and response is a collaborative effort," says Mike Sherberger. "We could not accomplish what we have without the partnership of the businesses and organizations that share common goals with us. "
One particularly successful and effective partnership has been with the Georgia Association of Broadcasters (GAB), which represents nearly 500 television and radio stations throughout the state. Since 1997, GAB has produced and distributed quarterly public service announcements (PSAs) from GEMA to GAB members on topics such as tornado and hurricane preparedness, severe winter weather and schoo l safety. Whi le PSAs are aired for no charge on a time-available basis at the stations' discretion, GAB also has made radio and TV advertising available in preferred time slots at sharply discounted rates. The organization also has offered valuable guidance to GEMA on media issues.
GAB 's services were instrumental during GEMA's collaboration with the Atlanta Braves. Pitcher Kevin Millwood, who has since moved on to the Philadelphia Phillies, promoted fam ily disaster plans in a PSA that was edited, duplicated and distributed by GAB.
Another key media partner is Georgia Public Rad io. While GEMA's public affairs office works with the med ia daily, it became clear fo llowing the massive evacuation fro m Hurricane Floyd in 1999 that Georgia Publi c Radio could prov ide unique ass istance.

The Home Depot works closely with GEMA to help commun ities prepa re fo r disaster. GEMA depends on partnerships with likeminded busin esses and organizations to ensure its con tinued success.
The signals of several Georgia Public Radio stations provide seamless 24-hour coverage along the length of the 1-16 corridor, which bears the brunt of any coastal evacuations. To provide evacuees with vital real-time information, a memorandum of agreement has been signed that provides GEMA with virtually instant access to the public radio network.
"Public/private partnerships are essential to the success of any community," says Pat Chandler, senior manager, community affairs, for The Home Depot. "So much more can be accompli shed when we work together to provide the necessary tools to prepare for and respond to disasters. Working toward a common goal, we can build healthier co mmuni ties ."

The Home Depot's assoc iation with

GEMA dates back to the early 1990s,

when the Atlanta-based home improve-

ment retai ler joined GEMA and other

organ izat ions in the prod uction of

"Against the Wind," a widely distributed

18-minute video on protecting homes

agai nst hurricane wind damage. More

recently, The Home Depot coordinated

the distribution of "Against the Wind"

and other hurricane preparedness videos

through its stores in Savannah and

Brunswick.

In another creative collaboration,

Atlanta's Center for Puppetry Arts and

Freebairn & Co., an Atlanta-based adver-

tising and public relations agency, were

crucial to developing a new video and

accompanying curriculum guide on

school safety that was produced by

GEMA. The video was distributed to

approximately 3,000 pre-kindergarten

and day care facilities around the state

this year. Performers with the Center for

Puppetry Arts wrote and performed three

separate vignettes for the children's ver-

sion of the video, while Freebai rn 's cre-

ative team provided design and graphics

for the projects packagi ng on a pro bono

basis.

Another video, distributed by GEMA

to school systems and public safety agen-

cies around the United States over the

past two years, was the result of a part-

nership with Texas-based Garrett Metal

Detectors. The complete cost of produc-

tion , duplication and distribution of the

video, "Safe Schools: Prevention,

Planning and Response," was underwrit-

ten by Garrett.

GEMA's effm1 to communicate more

effectively with Georgia's Spanish-speak-

ing popu lation also reflects a cooperative

enterprise wi th the Atlanta-based Latin

American Association. While there is still

cons iderable work to be done on thi s ini-

tiative, several ideas, including transla-

ti on serv ices, show promise.



EMERGENCY MANAGER Summer 2003

20

Emergency Management Conference Sets the Standard
By Jonna West Special Assistant to the Director

T he victims. The first responders. The volunteers. Every disaster has a human side. That's why the theme of the 2003 Governor's Emergency Mana0aement Conference was "It's All About People."
This annual spring conference, hosted by the Georgia Eme rgency Management Agency (GEMA), continues to bring together emergency managers, responders, elected officials and the general public to provide them with the resources to prepare better, respond faster and recover sooner from disaster. Historic Jekyll Island once again provided the ~ic turesque setting for the conference, which was held April 28 - 30.
Master CEMs
Daniel R. Brown, GEMA communications chief Don T. Bryant, Dublin-Laurens County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) director Dennis T. Jones, Jr., Chatham County EMA deputy director Ann K. Lamb, Mitchell County EMA director Wesley Craig Millsap, Bartow County EMA deputy director Vickie S. Thompson, GEMA area four field coordinator Johnny Mack Wingers, Macon-Bibb County EMA director
Neil J. Holton Training
Award Recipients
Attended the Most Training: Suzanne Nole, former Troup County EMA director and current 9-1-1 director Hosting the Most Field-delivered Courses: Troup County. Award was accepted by Tim Duffey, acting EMA director.

To honor a career spent saving lives

throu0ah education and awareness, GEMA dedicated this year's conference to John

Hope, tropical coordinator for The

Weather Channel and long-time friend to

the emergency management community.

The opening general session was

kicked off by Max Mayfield, director for

the National Hurricane Center. Other

speakers included Warren Madden, on-

camera meteorologist for The Weather

Channel, Pete Nelms , president of the

Emergency Management Association of

Geor0aia and motivational speaker Wayne Ates who entertained the audience with

his h'umorous tales and admonishments to

keep a positive attitude.

The luncheon on the second day of

the conference featured a keynote address

by Governor Sonny Perdue. He also pre-

sented certificates to the seven people

who completed the Master Certified

Emergency Manager (CEM) training pro-

ararn as well as the two people who

0

. .

received the Neil J. Holton Tra111111g

Award fo r participating in and hosting the

most training courses in their commun ity.

The conference concluded on

Wednesday with a helicopter demonstra-

tion by the Georgia National Guard's

4th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil

Support Team.

(Top) The Georgia National Guard, 4th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team wowed conference attendees with a helicopter demonstration. (Above) Governor Sonny Perdue had an opportunity to visit with conference attendees.

Despite tough fiscal times, the con-

ference attracted more than 700 partici-

pants, including a record-breaking num-

ber of exh ibitors and sponsors.

Next year's conference wi ll be held

May IO - 12, in Savannah at the Savannah

International Trade and Convent ion

Center. We hope to see you there. If you

have any suggestions for the conference,

please e-mail Jennifer Collins, conference

coordinator, at jcollins@gema.state.ga.us.

Our goal is to make next year's confer-

ence even better.



21

Summer 2003 EMERGENCY MANAGER

Fifth Annual Governor's Public Safety ,
Awards Held, Recipients Honored
By Jonna West Special Assistant to the Director

Public safety professio.nals across

Georaia were recognized at the

0

.

fifth annual Governor's Pubhc

Safety Awards (GPSA) ceremony, which

was held Friday, October 11, 2002, at the

Georgia Public Safety Training Center in

Forsyth. Sixteen men and women were

selected from 112 nominees to receive the

award .

The GPSA program recognizes pub-

lic safety professionals in the following

two categories:

Act of Heroism - Recognize those who performed an exceptional deed t?at resulted in saving lives and/or protectmg

property

. .

.

Outstanding Contnbut10n which

Enhanced the Profession - Job perform-

ance that had an overwhelming positive

affect on the overall profession

.

Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor

ceremoniously placed a medallion around the neck of each recipient. Their names also were engraved into the granite GPSA memorial, which is pernrnnently showcased.
"This award gives us the opportunity to honor those public safety professionals who daily ri sk their lives and sacrifice time away from their families to protect Georgians," says Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) Director Mike Sherberger.
The week of October 21 - 27, 2002,

was officially proclaimed Public Safety Appreciation Week to honor .the tho~ sands of professionals in Georgia's public

safety community. Personnel from each discipline of
public safety as well as state empl?~ees with public safety authority are ehg1ble for the awards. Nominations were received from local government public safety agencies, including emergency management, prosecuting/district attorneys, emergency medical services, 9- ~ -1 communications, fire departments, police departments, sheriff's offices and local correctional facilities.

EMERGENCY MANAGER Summer 2003

The proud recipients of the 2002 Governor's Public Safety Award.

State public safety agencies submittina nominations include the Georgia De;artment of Corrections, Georgia Department of Defense, Georg~a Department of Public Safety (Georgia State Patrol), Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, Georgia World Congress Center Police, Children and Youth Coordinating Council, Criminal Justi~e Coordinating Council, Georgia Pubhc Safety Training Center, and Georgia Department of Motor Vehicle Safety.

Recipients

Outstanding Contribution to

Profession

C. David Saye,

Georgia Public Safety Training Center

David Ashburn, Wa lker County

Emergency Management Agency

Sam R. Cunningham, Region 7 EMS

William A. Callier, Cobb County Fire and

Emergency Services

Spencer Lawton, Jr.,

.

Eastern Judicial Circuit of Georgta

James D. Arrowood,

Cobb County Department ofPublic Safety

K.G. Hinton,

City ofAtlanta Department of Corrections

Richard Roley,

Georgia Technology Authority

Steve Wilson , Sheriff of Walker County

Acts of Heroism

Arnie Oliver, Jr.,

Georgia Department of Corrections

Jerry Long,

Hutcheson Medical Center EMS

Stacy Palmer,

Toccoa Fire Department

Russe!J Giles, Roswell Police Department

Russell E. Bodin, DeKalb County Police

Department

Rachel A. Parkinson, Gwinnett County

Police Department/9-1-1

Anthony Consiglio, Richmond County

Sheriff's Office



Mark Your Calendar
Nominations are being accepted from professional organizations and state agencies for the sixth annual Governor's Public Safety Awards (GPSA) program. The awards will be presented during a ceremony ~n October 22, 2003, at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth. The deadline is August 15, 2003. Nomination criteria and forms are available on the Georgia Emergency Management Agency's Web site at www.gema.state.ga.us or by calling (404) 635-7000 or toll-free
in Georgia at 1-800-TRY-GEMA

22

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