Emergency manager magazine, Winter 2006

MA NAGER

Emergency Manager is the official magazine of the
Georgia Office of Homeland Security-Georgia Emergency
Management Agency
Lisa Janak, Editor
Honorable Sonny Perdue Governor
Mike Sherberger Director
Donna Burns Public Affairs Director
Ken Davis Public Affa irs Officer
Buzz Weiss Public Affairs Coordinator
Lisa Janak Multi-Media Coordina tor
Kandice Weech Web Coordinator
Katherine Huggins Constituent Services
Coordinator
Published by the Georgia Office of Homeland Secu rity-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.ohs. state.ga.us
You are welcome to s ubmit original articles for publ ication cons ideration. The deadline for the spri ng issue is March 15.
Cove r photo courtesy of UGA College of Agricultural a nd
Environme ntal Sciences Photographer: Joh n Am is

From the Director
A Difficult Farewell
T his is a parricularly difficult column ro write, because ir marks a beginning and an end, and there is so much ro be said in so Ii rde space.
On January 31, 2006, I retired from rhe Office of Homeland Securi ty-Georgia Emerge ncy Management Agency (O H S-GEMA) and from stare govern ment after 34 yea rs. I am saddened ro close o ur this chapter, ye t excited abo ut embarkin g on new jo urneys. On some days when I look bac k, rh e 34 yea rs seem like an eterni ty, bur on others they seem amazingly brief. I suppose d1 ar's parr of d1 e experience that co mes with this kind of change.
I jo ined GEMA in 1991, lefr briefly in 2002 o n loan ro rh e Centers fo r Disease Control, bur returned rh e following yea r w hen Governor Perdue entrusted me wirh rh e age ncy's leadership. T hese yea rs, witho ut q uestion , have been the most rewarding of my career.
Over d1is span of rime, I have seen emergency management redefi ned and expanded ro address new o mino us threats ro our afety. I have seen o ur all-hazards philosophy enhanced, and homeland securi ty beco me a part of ou r lexicon. I witnessed a new and unpreced ented emphas is on training for rhe emergency management and public safety co mmunities. I have seen exciting new technologies implemented . And I have seen viral new partnerships forged with our stare and federal allies, d1 e volunteer com muni ty, and the pri vate sector rhar have forrified rhe security of Georgia's ci tizens.
I have had rhe privilege of learning, as we rook valuable les o ns ro hea rt from rhe many events rhar rested us. T he 1994 Aoods, rh e 1996 Centennial O lympic Games, rhe 1998 tornado outbreak, d1e Walker Coun ty cremato ry discovery, the G-8 Summit, and rh e impact of Hurricane Katrina. We have lea rn ed from and built upo n every o ne of d1ese challenges .
Above all, th ough, ir has been rhe peo ple who I will remember and value rh e most. OHS-GEMA has been successfu l because of its outstanding dedi ca ted profess ionals. I wish them rhe best as we all move forward ro our next challenge.

1

Winter 2006 EMERGENCY MANAGER

Exceptional EMA

Pam Tucker, Columbia County

Pam Tucker has a palpable enthusiasm for emergency management that hasn't diminished one iota after 28 years on the job as emergency management agency (EMA) director in two counties. "I have found my niche, " she declares.
Tucker began her career with the Augusta-Richmond County EMA on March 1, 1978, when she was just 22 years old. After three agency directors resigned within six years, county commissioners finally hired her for the job. "I grew up in a time where women were teachers and nurses," says Tucker. "It was unusual for any woman to be in a position of leadership, let alone one so young. "
Tucker thrived on the challenge. "Gosh almighty, what a feeling of accomplishment to grow an EMA from the ground up," she says. "The first time the phone rang, I had to dig for a pen and paper in my purse to take a message. There was not a lot of planning, except for nuclear war. " There also was a lack of awareness about emergency management. "Remember, this was before FEMA," Tucker recalls. She had to be creative when launching new programs and succeeded by seeking private funds and building good relationships with the public and media.
Tucker spearheaded the response to the county's worst disaster, severe flooding that occurred in October 1990, when tropical storms Klaus and Marco converged over east Georgia. A seemingly endless amount of rain washed out roads and railroad tracks and destroyed homes and public buildings. "It just wouldn't go away, " Tucker laments. The county received a presidential disaster declaration.
Tucker left Richmond County in 1999 to become the EMA director for Columbia County. And once again, Tucker looked forward to building an EMA from the ground up.
Formerly undeveloped countryside, Columbia County boomed seemingly overnight into a bedroom community for Augusta-Richmond County. "In 1980, Columbia County's population was 44,000, and in 25 years it has grown to 101 ,000, with no slowdown in sight," Tucker says.
EMERGENCY MANAGER Winter 2006

The county is susceptible to natural disasters as well as an array of man-made threats. Tucker must prepare for the possible failure of three Savannah River dams, which are located upstream along the Georgia-South Carolina border. In addition, "Transportation accidents involving hazardous material issues concern us a great deal," she says. "Remember, we live very close to Graniteville." (Last January, a train carrying toxic chlorine gas crashed in the small mill town of Graniteville, South Carolina, killing nine and causing the evacuation of 5,000.)
Moreover, 17 miles of I-20 run through Columbia County, and the Savannah River Site and Plant Vogde nuclear power plants operate nearby. "When doing our historical research for our hazard mitigation plans, we found the only four things that can't happen to us are volcano, avalanche, landslide and tsunami, " Tucker says. "We're vulnerable to everything else. And the only things that haven't occurred is dam failure and a radiological incident ."
These challenges might be daunting for some EMA directors, but not Tucker. "We have a strong exercise program, a special needs database that is updated regularly, a proactive public education program and three warning systems," she pronounces. Tucker is not a fan of sirens alone because, she says, it is hard to hear them over the roar of a tornado. Instead, the sirens are just one component of a warning system that also includes National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio and reverse 9-1-1. "We can warn 85 percent of our population, which is about the best anybody can do with any warning system."
In addition to her duties as EMA director, Tucker is division director for emergency services, where she manages contracts for private ambulance and fire services. She also is charged with the Columbia County 3-1-1 Call Center, Columbia County Animal Care and Control Department, the senior center, public transit, the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) , and the county's dive rescue team. "I am a multi-tasking

whiz," she

says. "And I'm

always won-

dering what

we can do to

improve. "

Perhaps

her most pop-

ular initiative,

however, is the

county's 3-1-1

customer

service and information center.

Columbia County EMA Director Pam Tucker

Columbia County was the second commu-

nity in Georgia to implement this free serv-

ice, where residents call for answers to their

questions about Columbia County govern-

ment. This service benefits community

leaders, as well. "It enables commissioners

to track trends and help their constituents,"

explains Tucker. "It also alleviates non-

emergency calls to our 9-1-1 center." The

service logged more than 1,200 calls in

October.

The media-savvy Tucker recognizes the

importance of working with the press. "You

have to be accessible to the media day and

night. They can help you get your message

out to the public," she says. "You have to

give people good, accurate information so

they can be prepared for a disaster.

"It really is important for an emer-

gency manager to do something every day

to get people ready," Tucker continues.

"They must be ready, or you're going to lose

lives. " Tucker maintains an e-mail alert sys-

tem and sends a short message nearly every

day to make the public and media aware of

any threats, unusual activity or upcoming

events. "People love it, " she says. "They

e-mail me back, saying 'thank you so

much.' lfl have only one tip, it's get a data-

base going, and add to it daily.''

Although her job consumes nearly all

her time, "you never get a day off," she

admits, Tucker takes satisfaction knowing

she is laying the groundwork for future

generations. "One day I want to retire

knowing someone is looking after me and

my children and grandchildren," she

concludes. - Lisa Janak

2

In Brief

Rome-Floyd County LEOP Put to the Test During Full-scale Exercise

It is a pleasant October morning in Rome, Georgia. A crowd of retirees has already arrived at Mount Berry Mall for their daily walk, while at the nearby Floyd Medical Center's Training Facility, 35 new employees prepare for a personnel briefing.
At approximately 8:00 a.m., a man with a large backpack is seen placing objects beneath several vehicles in the parking lot of the mall. He then enters the Floyd Medical Center's training facility, draws a small pistol, and takes everyone hostage, all che while screaming about "dirty bombs" and his ex-girlfriend. Before anyone can stop him, the man detonates three bombs, killing four and injuring 35. After a stand-off with police, che man commits suicide.
Afterwards, the bomb squad clears the scene and the fire department evaluates injuries and decontaminates che victims. Emergency medical services then transports the victims to nearby hospitals for further treatment.
Fortunately, this was only a drill. The scenario was invented by planners for a full-scale exercise held lase October by che Rome-Floyd County Local Emergency Operations Planning Committee (LEOP). The exercise cesced che abilities of law enforcement and public health personnel and first responders to respond quickly

This robot was used to disable potentially explosive devices during a full-scale exercise in Rome, Georgia. The drill simulated the response to a bomb threat at Mount Berry Mall and the nearby medical center.

and effectively to a major incident, allocate resources and personnel, coordinate city and county operations. The agencies also demonstrated how chey would maintain inter-agency communications, and release accurate and timely information to the public using ac lease three different methods of dissemination.
Parcicipacing agencies included che Northwest Georgia Bomb Squad, Rome Fire Department, Rome Police

Department, Floyd County Police Department, Floyd County Emergency Management, Northwest Georgia Public Healch, Northwest Georgia Police Academy, Office of Homeland SecurityGeorgia Emergency Management Agency, Floyd County 9-1-1 , Redmond Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Floyd EMS, Redmond and Floyd hospitals, Rome Transit Department and Mount Berry Square Mall Security.

Georgia's State, City Evacuation Plans Under Review

The Office of Homeland Security-Georgia Emergency Management Agency (OHSGEMA) has completed a comprehensive review of state and metro area evacuation plans, under the guidance of planning director Jonna West. The project was launched in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in response to recent federal legislation, which mandates a report to The U.S. Office of

Homeland Security on the status of state and local evacuation plans.
The law requires Georgia to submit a self-assessment and a "certification of plan. "The state's response addresses a

feasible plan based on realistic scenarios. OHSGEMA, Georgia Department of Transportation (DOl), Georgia Department of Human Resources, and City of Atlanta and Fulton County officials collaborated on the effort. DOT also has an urban evacuation study under way that addresses a one-mile
radius in downtown in Atlanta.

3

Winter 2006 EMERGENCY MANAGER

Stewart County
Deputy EMA
Director
Recognized for
Role in Courthouse
Shooting
Stewart County Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Director Greg Stewart was recognized by the American Police Hall of Fame for his valor during a courthouse shooting.
The incident occurred on August 18, 2005, when officers responded to a report of shots fired outside the Stewart County Courthouse in Lumpkin. A man opened fire from the steps of the courthouse, striking Lumpkin Police Chief Jay Stripling and Stewart County Deputy Clinton Rivers in the face. Paramedic Vance Streeter was then shot in the leg while rushing to their aid.
In the next few hours, Stewart, along with officers from nearby Webster, Sumter, Schley, Chattahoochee and Randolph counties, the Georgia State Patrol, and agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, arrived on the scene to assist. Chief Henry Brown of the Plains Police Department was shot in the shoulder, and Major Brett Murray of the Sumter County Sheriff's Office was struck in his gun belt by a bullet, but was not injured.
The gunman, Marcus Dalton, ran a few blocks from the courthouse and took two hostages. Hours later, the hostages were freed , and officers returned fire, killing Dalton.
For his efforts, Stewart was presented with the Civilian Medal of Appreciation, the Knights of Justice and the Life Saving Award at a ceremony held at the Stewart County Courthouse on October 28, 2005. Also recognized for their heroism were Chief Stripling and Corporal Dan Simmons of the Lumpkin Police Department, Chief Brown, Major Murray, Paramedic Vance Streeter of Stewart County EMS, and Deputy Rivers and Dispatcher Connie Thornton of the Stewart County Sheriff's Office.
EMERGENCY MANAGER Winter 2006

OHS-GE~s Mobile Communications Vehicle Becomes Temporary 9-1-1 Center for Dawson County

(From left to right) Dawson County Sergeant Micki Petrella, E9-1-1 Captain Debra Wimpy and Day Shift Supervisor Sergeant Donna Rutledg e shared close quarters when lightning took out the county's 9-1-1 equipment and they temporarily moved to OHS-GEMA's MCV. "You have to like your partner," Wimpy says.

When people dial 9-1-1, they want to know someone will be on the other end to assist them with their emergency. But what happens when a 9-1-1 center has an emergency of its own? Dawson County officials asked that question when a bolt of lightning struck the county's Enhanced (E) 9-1-1 center on December 4, 2005, destroying all communications equipment and knocking out emergency services. Worried that resident's calls for help would go unanswered, they asked the Office of Homeland Security-Georgia Emergency Management Agency (OHS-GEMA) ro assist.
In response to the request, OHSGEMA sent its mobile communications vehicle (MCV) to the scene. The MCV is deployed to areas where communication capabilities have been obstructed due to natural or man-made disasters. The unit is outfitted with state-of-the-art satellite radios and phones, traditional and cellular phones, HAM radio and Southern LINC equipment, and it can provide backup 9-1-1 communication capabilities.It also is equipped with an ACUlOOO communications device.

"This device allows us to interlink frequencies between cell phones, radios, and computers, so that no matter what kind of phone or radio you're using, everyone can use the same frequency, " says Robert Belcher, state warning officer for OHSGEMA. "We can even tie computers into it. It's really unlimited as to what you can do. "
Belcher, along with OHS-GEMA's Tod Keys, who previously was a task force commander for Dawson County, and State Warning Officer Charles Bryant had the MCV on location within three hours and stayed late to run phone lines and set up computers. Soon, a cramped but serviceable 9-1-1 center was up and operating.
"We were very fortunate to have them working with us," says Dawson County E9-l-l Captain Debra W impy.
The storm caused more than $100,000 in damage to the 9-1-1 Center, and repairs took more than two weeks to complete. The MCV returned to OHSGEMA on December 28, 2005.
"It really made things a lot easier for us, and services were not disrupted by the lightning," says Wimpy.

4

Coweta
Wake-up Calls
Save Lives
Morning wake-up calls aren't just for hotel guests anymore. Ar least nor in Coweta County, where 9-1-1 officials place daily morning phone calls to make sure older residents are safe and well .
The RUOK program began 16 years ago when a Coweta County family saw a segment about the program on ABC's Good Morning America, then contacted Coweta Emergency Management Agency and 9-1-1 Director Eddie Ball to see if it could be implemented locally. The family members, who wanted to remain anonymous, paid the start-up costs, and the nee~ essary equipment and licensing was purchased from Northland Innovations in M innesota.
The number of daily calls has varied from 20 to 100 over the years. Currently, 9-1-1 operators make 35 to 40 calls each day at a pre-arranged rime. However, the call system can be auromated if the need overwhelms the operators.
Clients are asked to notify rhe 9-1-1 center when they will be out of town. T hey are not permitted to connect answering machines to their phones. If no one answers the wake-up call and the person cannot be located at the Newnan-Coweta County Senior Center, dispatchers have information on how to obtain keys to the client's home, and they will send emergency responders.
"This program has saved at least three or fo ur lives over the past few years," says Ball. "Many of our cl ients do n't have family in the immediate area, and chis is an important lifeline."
Ida Johnson, site director for the Newnan-Coweta Senior Center, describes RUOK as a "wonderful program and a great help for people who live alone."
Ball emphasizes the community service value of the program and notes char 9-1-1 operarors and RUOK clients us ually exchange Christmas cards and gift baskets. He says there has never been a complaint or a negative comment abour the program since its inception.
"We're glad to hear their voices every morning and they're glad to hear ours," says Ball.

At the Coweta County 9-1-1 center, operators make wellness calls to senior citizens each morning.

Newton County Latest StormReady Community

Newton County has

the distinction of becom-

ing part of the growing

list of recognized

StormReady communities. StormReady, a program initiated by the

2rmReady NAnDNAC

National Weather Service

(NWS) in partnership

with the Office of Homeland Security-

Develop a formal hazardous

Georgia Emergency Management

weather plan, which includes training

Agency (OHS-GEMA) and the

severe weather spotters and holding

Emergency Management Association of Georgia (EMAG), is designed to encour-

emergency exercises. Fifty-three Georgia counties have

age communities to create a severe

completed the certification process to

weather action plan.

receive StormReady recognition. Other

Although specific StormReady

counties throughout Georgia are encour-

guidelines vary depending on the size of aged to apply to their NWS office for

the community, to be designated in the

StormReady recognition. StormReady

program requires the following:

communities that are also in the

Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center;

National Flood Insurance Program may receive additional Insurance Services

Develop more than one way to

Organization (ISO) points, thereby pos-

receive and disseminate severe weather

sibly lowering flood insurance premiums

warnings and forecasts to alert the

in the community.

public;

For more information on severe

Create a system that monitors

weather and the StormReady program

local weather conditions;

visit the NWS Web site at

Promote the importance of public www.nws.noaa.gov/stormready or the

readiness through community seminars;

OHS-GEMA Web site at

and

www.gema.state.ga. us.

5

Winter 2006 EMERGENCY MANAGER

Hall County's Centralized Emergency Services Complex Finally a Reality
By David Kimbrell, Hall County Fire Chiefand Emergency Management Agency Director

H ome to more than 150 international corporations, a busy interstate highway, a major railway and portions of the nation's largest manmade lake created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hall Counry is che center of business and residential activiry in northeast Georgia. Providing emergency services to the counry's growing population rhar now stands at 163,000, and a daytime population of nearly one-quarter million can be challenging.
Hall Counry's Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department leads the counry's preparedness efforts and irs response to natural and man-made disasters. A year ago, fire and EMS staff, along wirh 9-1-1 and emergency management personnel, moved into a long-awaited, state-of-the-art emergency services complex. The move consolidates fire and emergency services, Enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-l-l), and emergency management operations into a central location.
At the heart of the new complex is an E9-l-l call center, equipped with the industry's best emergency call-handling system that provides precise information on each incoming call.
A caller's identiry and location is linked into Hall Counry's Graphic Information System database, which maps every square foot of counry land. Each dispatcher can instantly access an aerial photo of the caller's location - even if the caller is using a cell phone - and the whereabouts of every first-response unit.
Simulcaneously, the incoming call is routed to Computer-Aided Dispatch software, which verifies the address inscancly and queries a local database for people, vehicles and properry in the area. As a result, critical time is saved in emergencies and first responders receive accurate, pertinent information when lives are on the line .
The new radio and telephone equipment is the foundation for a new 800 MHz wireless communications system. This $16 million system will be built our over two years with towers, antennae and a
EMERGENCY MANAGER Winter 2006

The new Hall County emergency operations center was constructed after two years of planning. It houses emergency management, fire and emergency services, and E9-1-1 personnel.

transmission system. When complete, the system will provide reliable and expandable voice, data and video communications for public safery and law enforcement personnel while meeting Hall Counry's growing demand for rapid emergency response.
Construction on the new center coincided with an ambitious building program char began in 1999 which will ultimately double the number of counry fire stations from eight to 16.
Emergency management is changing and evolving daily, and Hall Counry is growing with it. In September 2005 , Hall Counry officials hired William Wright, former director of the White Counry Emergency Management Agency, as the counry's first emergency management coordinaror. Previously, emergency management duties were "add-ons" to ocher positions.
Wright couldn't have started at a more appropriate rime. A tornado spun by Hurricane Katrina, which hie the Gulf Coast two weeks prior to Wright's arrival, tore a path through rhe northeastern portion of Hall Counry.
Wright works to make sure the counry is prepared for any rype of emergency. His responsibilities include assessing hazards, training emergency operations center staff, reviewing response plans and educating the public.

Wright began his new duties by placing a prioriry on spreading the word about disaster preparedness to residents by providing free information from FEMA on topics such as building a saferoom andr preparing a disaster supplies kit. Brochures were placed in the complex's lobby and in the planning department, which issues building permits.
"There are a lot of positive things we can do to prepare and educate people, which helps us greacly in the event of an emergency," says Wright.
New EMAG Officers
The Emergency Management Association of Georgia (EMAG) elected new officers during its annual conference, which was held November 13 - 16, 2005, on St. Simons Island.
Kenny Calhoun, Dooly Counry Emergency Management Agency (EMA) was elected president, Jim Anderson, Bryan Counry EMA is first vice president, and Latravius Smith, Macon-Bibb County EMA, is second vice president.
In addition, William Wright, Hall Counry EMA and Suzanne Lord, Aclanta-Fulton County EMA were elected secretary and treasurer.
6

Cobb County CERT members Mary Brittner (left) and Betty Michalski (right) distribute information at the North Georgia fair, which was held September 22 to October 2, 2005 . More than 200 volunteers were recruited at the fair.
CERT Spotlight:

Cobb County
By Kandice Weech, Web Coordinator
Cobb County's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) didn't even have to travel far from home to make a difference in the lives of Hurricane Katrina victims.
Robbie Atabaigi, a CERT volunteer since March 2004, passed out flyers to the tho usands of evacuees who arrived in metro Atlanta and sought help at Cobb County's Joint Resource Recovery Center (JRRC) at Life University in Marietta, Georgia. "It felt good to be able to help in some small way at the resource center, to talk and help bring a sense of calm and also provide information on where they needed to go to get reestablished," she says.
CERT volunteers were discouraged from unsolicited deployment to the Gulf region, because, notes Cobb County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) deputy director Lanita Lloyd, "This practice could endanger first responders and threaten overall operational control."
CERT educates people on how to prepare for disasters that may impact their area and trains volunteers in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. CERT volunteers use these abilities to assist others in an emergency when professionals are unable to immediately respond.
Since its inception in January 2004,
7

Cobb CERT has

made its mark as

one of the most

active programs

in the state.

"Cobb County

serves as an excel-

lent model for

other counties to

implement a pro-

gressive and suc-

cessful CERT

program," says

Georgia's Citizen

Corps Program

Manager Jami

Leverett. The program
is free and open

Victoria Turnkey (top left) and Sam Peng (top right) recruit new volunteers at the North Georgia Fair. Attendees were encouraged to pick up information (below) .

to all above the age of 16. CERT volunteers must attend annual training and pass a background check.
Federal and state guidelines require 20 hours of CERT training. Courses include emergency preparedness, fire safety, medical operations, light search and rescue operations, disaster psychology, team organization, and terrorism. Additional refresher courses are also available. Training is provided by a variety of agencies, including Cobb County government, police, fire and rescue departments, and emergency medical services.

Once trained, CERT volunteers are ready to educate the community about the importance of preparing for unexpected dangers, including how to report suspicious activity. They also provide information on sheltering in place, first aid and the importance of warning sirens.
According to Lloyd, Cobb CERT has grown quickly in less than two years . The program now has a cadre of 350 trained volunteers from all walks of life including srudents, retirees, doctors, military personnel, lawyers and housewives, who are ready to assist in an emergency at a moment's notice.

Winter 2006 EMERGENCY MANAGER

After Katrina, Cobb CERT leaders reevaluated the program's effectiveness, and, as a result, new training opportunities were created. Advanced courses covering sheltering, triage, administrative support in the emergency operations center, and initial site assistance were added in December 2005, to better prepare volunteers for the next disaster.
Public service announcements, brochures, pamphlets and citizen action guides also were developed to increase awareness for the program. In addition, a Web site expansion is under way to enable CERT members to communicate more effectively, and a newsletter is being created to highlight achievements. Competitions to determine the "most prepared community" also are planned.
"The program is well accepted by the community and is growing every day," declares Lloyd. In fact, more than 200 applications and 1,300 leads were received from prospective volunteers at the CERT booth at the North Georgia Fair.
"I would encourage everyone to join the CERT program," asserts Atabaigi. "It's free, a great place to get to know your neighbors, and you gain knowledge on how to prepare your famil y, neighbors and friends in the event of a disaster. "
Lloyd attributes the program's success to the support of Cobb County manager and EMA director David Hankerson, local officials, the public safety community and CERT volunteers. Information gathered from county officials was used to develop a CERT team template, which provides information other counties would need to run a successful program.
However, Lloyd knows there is always room for improvement. "The Cobb CERT program still has room to grow and expand. One of the challenges is to keep volunteers active and motivated," she says. To that end, Cobb CERT leaders created a working group to develop future projects and added more online refresher courses.
Atabaigi understands the need for constant training and is preparing to take these advanced classes. "I want to be prepared because it's not a matter of if something will happen, it's a matter of when," she concludes.
To learn more about Cobb's CERT program visit www.ema.cobbcountyga.gov. To learn how to start a CERT program in your community, visit the Citizen Corps Web site at www.citizencorps.org.

CERT County Round-up

Columbia County CERT

months and are conducted by first

Since January 2004, the Columbia

responders, who volunteer their time

County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) has trained and certified

and talent, and several CERT members who have taken a "train-the-trainer"

135 citizens for the Columbia County

course to become instructors.

Community Emergency Response Team

Monthly meetings are held the third

(CERT). Last year, Columbia CERT

Tuesday of each month and often fea-

members demonstrated their "willing-

ture guest speakers. Last fall, an instruc-

ness to serve" by volunteering in a vari-

tor from Georgia Power's Plant Bowen

ety of ways.

presented Power-Town USA, where

CERT members participated in a

members learned about protective meas-

full-scale hazardous materials transporta- ures when working around downed

tion exercise, performed

in a new national CERT

training video, conducted

presentations for commu-

nity groups, and assisted

with local events. They

also answered calls at

Forestry Services from citi-

zens requesting burn per-

mits when an open burn-

ing ban ended last fall,

freeing up the agency's

two staff members to

respond to fires, if needed. The Columbia
County CERT program is

Floyd County CERT graduates pose with Floyd County EMA Director Scotty E. Hancock (bottom row, far right) and Senator Preston Smith (bottom row, second from right).

funded through grants

provided by the U.S. Department of

power lines. In another meeting, mem-

Homeland Security. Seasoned instruc-

bers learned how to recognize a meth

tors from Columbia County EMA,

lab.

Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue,

Community organizations and gov-

Grovetown Department of Public Safety, ernment officials have realized the bene-

Harlem Department of Public Safety,

fits of this program. CERT members

Columbia County Sheriff's Office, Gold helped run a shelter for the Red Cross

Cross Emergency Medical Services, and

after an apartment fire left approximate-

the Augusta Chapter of the American

ly 40 people homeless, participated in

Red Cross volunteer their time to teach

several disaster drills this year, worked in

training classes during the evening.

a disaster relief collection station sorting

To receive a free copy of the CERT donated goods, assisted the local fire

training video or to learn more about

department with installing fire detectors,

Columbia CERT, contact Pam Tucker at and raised awareness for disaster pre-

ptucker@columbiacountyga.gov, call

paredness by manning a booth at the

(706) 868-3303 or visit www.columbia- local county fair.

countyga.gov. - Pam Tucker, Director, Columbia County Emergency Services
Floyd County CERT

In addition, Floyd County CERT members were among the volunteers who went to the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. They delivered des-

Launched in March 2005, the

perately needed diesel fuel to a Mobile,

Rome-Floyd County Community

Alabama, feeding station, helped feed

Emergency Response Team (CERT) now evacuees, and assisted in clean-up and

boasts 61 members. Training classes are

recovery. - Scotty E. Hancock, Director,

scheduled approximately every two

Floyd County EMA

EMERGENCY MANAGER Winter 2006

8

Best Storm Clean-ups Planned Early

By Stasia Kelly, Georgia Forestry Commission

I f emergency management personnel in Georgia hadn't already crossed rhe last "r" and dorred rhe lasr "i" on their storm debris plans, rhe 2005 hurricane season should have provided rhe impetus. Televised images of storms raking coastal areas, topped by extensive tornado damage across a myriad of stares, emphasized rhe importance of properly caring for trees to make them less susceptible to srorm damage and developing an emergency response plan for rhe tons of debris rhey leave behind.
Officials in Columbus, Georgia, recognize rhe importance of developing a tree program before a severe storm rums rhem into hazards. ''A tree risk management plan is part of our emergency storm response plan ," says Rachel Buice, depury director of public services for rhe Columbus Consolidated Government. "A rree risk management plan defines how a
9

communiry manages irs urban forest to reduce risk and liabiliry while increasing the safery and welfare of irs citizens."
Buice believes successful storm cleanup hinges on developing a tree management plan where trees are routinely evaluated and pruned by professional arborists and standing contracts are secured for debris removal long before a storm starts brewing.
Tree risk management and emergency storm response plans incorporate recommendations by a professional municipal arborist, on staff or under contract. In Columbus, trained staff arborisrs perform a five-year routine evaluation and pruning maintenance on public trees. In addition, the municipal arborisr signs off on every site thar receives a development permit to head off any potential problems that could increase the chance of tree failure and danger to rhe public.

Also, "our tree risk management plan includes a recommendation to inventory all our public trees by Global Positioning Service (GPS)," says Buice. Results are integrated into the Geographical Information System (GIS) .
These objectives have enabled Ciry of Columbus officials to proactively manage trees for risk. Buice says the goal is to manage the urban forest so that trees do not become public hazards through lack of care or when they are damaged during ro utine uriliry or construction activiry. ''All those pieces need to be in place before an emergency storm response plan is written," Buice adds.
Moreover, Columbus has an extensive, ever-evolving emergency storm response plan that covers planning for severe weather as well as response and recovery. The plan identifies sources of additional assistance, clarifies the roles of
Winter 2006 EMERGENCY MANAGER

municipal personnel and establishes uniform operating procedures, including how tree damage, communications and record keeping will be handled. Finally, ir derails recovery, addressing how trees will be restored through planting and care by trained volunteers and municipal workers.
Columbus' emergency storm response plan classifies storms as "minor" (fallen trees and road blockages can be remedied within 24 hours) and "major" (road clearance, fallen trees and overhead hazards cannot be completed within 24 hours and may require additional resources from other divisions). Procedures are similar for both types of storms, beginning with receiving and dispatching damage reports.
In order to prioritize damage reports called into rhe city, an operator will ask specific questions, including the caller's location, whether anyone is injured or trapped, if a tree is down, whether a power line is involved, or if a tree is blocking a street, sidewalk, private home, business or car. Each answer will help determine the proper allocation of equipment and personnel during a storm. First priority response will go to injured people caught in a car or home by a fallen tree, followed by blocked streets, residences and high-risk s1ruanons.
Because the purpose of all emergency response procedures is to bring order ro what may be a chaotic situation, communication among management, administrative staff, field personnel and crew leaders is critical ro successful operations. A loss of normal communication methods should be anticipated, and alternative methods, such as rwo-way radios, ham radios and cell phones should be identified. Clear communication channels among emergency agencies and personnel should be set up. A phone number and staff contact for the public should be established and publ icized, and the media should be used ro communicate accurate information about damages and recovery times.
Buice believes it is crucial to have signed standing contracts with srormrelared contractors in place year round. Contracts should spell our pricing and other important derails so there are no surprises. "I can't emphasize that enough," she says. Buice relies on the standing contracts she has with trucking contractors for debris removal. "If this area gers hit hard with an ice storm, we gor 'em first! " she exclaims. On-site chipping services expe-
EMERGENCY MANAGER Winter 2006

On-site chipping services help to quickly remove storm debris. It is recommended that communities maintain standing contracts with storm-related vendors all year. Details such as pricing should be spelled out.

dire the removal of debris, bur if circumstances prevent this, the material may be moved to special staging areas.
Tracking storm damage and subsequent tree loss is crucial to the long-term success of a city's tree program. All crews involved in storm clean up should use a storm damage master log or similar form to record information on each call. Labor and equipment hours for the storm and clean up should be recorded.
"The post-storm tree assessment is crucial," emphasizes Buice. "If you don't go in and assess the trees where you've had damage, you're not only risking an increase in liability, bur also putting the safety and well-being of the public in danger. "
Because trees can be damaged in ways rhar are not apparent ro the untrained eye, a certified arborisr should perform the post-storm tree assessment, she says. Once a tree has been damaged, it has a higher probability of failure. Buice also says that remedial pruning after storms and throughout the year could reduce rhe probability of more damage during future weather events.
The thousands of pounds of debris lefr by a storm are another weighty consideration for city planners. Buice's private composting contractors grind wood waste into 4- to 6-inch chunks, and then send them ro paper mills in Georgia and Alabama ro be used as boiler fuel.
"We do about 35,000 tons a year with Columbus," says Kerry James, president of Newnan, Ga.-based Southern Land Improvement, Inc. "We try to turn every bit of that over to the paper mills. " Inert material is transported ro one of rwo Muscogee County landfills.

However, James, Buice and others who manage the debris lefr by storms, land clearing and ongoing maintenance lament the lack of recycling opportunities. Besides composting, which requires great amo unts of space and rime, and paper mill customers, few markers exist for wood waste. "We see a lot of natural materials go ro waste in our job," says James, whose firm processes material generated by land clearing as well as storm and maintenance waste. "I'd like to see all of us ger rogerher and figure our how ro use this resource."
The Georgia Forestry Commission, with support from researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia, is investigating the viability of marketing Georgia's wood waste as an energy alternative ro fossil fuels. According ro Sam Shelton, director for Georgia Tech's Strategic Energy Initiative, Georgia has "a potential gold mine that can offset rising gasoline prices and grow the state's economy at rhe same time. "
If those predictions materialize, Columbus and other Georgia communities managing tree waste might have to add a chapter ro their emergency storm plans: "What to do with the Income Generated by Tree Debris."
Information on tree safety and storm planning may be found by visiting the Georgia Forestry Commission's Sustainable Community Forestry Program's Web site at www.gatrees.org.
Information on tree risk management and emergency storm response plans are available by visiting the Natural Resource Consulting Web site at www.nrc-trees.com.

10

Georgia
braces for
Bird Flu Threat
By Buzz Weiss, Public Affairs Coordinator

capacity to spread easily from person to person, the result will be a pandemic influenza outbreak that will have widespread social, economic and health consequences throughout rhe world. Fortunately, extraordinary measures are being taken to prevent its onset and to respond aggressively if an outbreak does occur.
Aggressive monitoring for avian influenza
Georgia officials have put an intense monitoring program in place, according to Office of Homeland Security-Georgia Emergency Management Agency (OHSGEMA) Agro-terrorism Specialist Dr. Paul Williams. Ongoing monitoring is conducted daily at 11 poultry labs around the state, jointly operated by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Poultry Federation. Two veterinary diagnostic labs also conduct ongoing surveillance.
Williams says of rhe estimated 1.6 million birds "on rhe ground" on any given day, 4 percent die of natural causes.

The resting labs look for a statistically significant number of birds that would reflect 90 percent of rhe population of potentially sick birds.
Infected birds
In the event of a presumptive positive result, the farm in question would be isolated, and rest material sent to rhe Foreign Animal Disaster Diagnostic Center at Plum Island, New York. If additional resting at Plum Island confirmed rhe positive report, rhe Georgia Department of Agriculture would request activation of OHS-GEMA's Scare Operations Center (SOC) under Emergency Support Function (ESF) -11, the Agricul cure and Natural Resources section.
The SOC activation also would trigger rhe deployment of stare agricultural response reams (SART), which include veterinarians and veterinary technicians from the state and federal departments of agriculture and the private sector, public healrh veterinarians and epidemiologists, representatives of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service,

and oilier experrs. The Georgia Department of Agriculture would be the lead agency, assisted by the Department of Human Resources' (DHR) Public Health Division and OHS-GEMA. The U .S. Secretary of Agriculture would be asked to declare an Extraordinary State of Emergency, and the Governor would have the option to request a Presidential disaster declaration.
"Georgia's response is consistent with the national response plan," says Williams. "Ir has rhe groundwork for the integration of federal response, and it mirrors the federal response."
Williams says rhe poultry industry represents a major part of Georgia's economy, and "I think Georgia is doing a better job rhan most states in preparing to deal with bird flu ."
Infected humans
A more ominous scenario, however, would be pandemic influenza in humans, which could be precipitated by exposure to infected birds or introduced by travelers. Health experts say the likelihood of being

EMERGENCY MANAGER Winter 2006

12

infected by poultry is extremely small in the United States, since the avian virus has not yet been found here, and not many people have close contact with poultry.
State epidemiologist Dr. Susan Lance says the transmission of the virus from an infected person presents a more troubling and chal lenging picture. It could initially present as an outbreak similar to 2003 's Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), with the virus being introduced into the U.S. by travelers. If such an incident occurred, DHR's Division of Public Health would be the lead agency.
"The flu vi rus is highly transmissible, with a short incubation period," says Lance. ''A person can be infectious before any symptoms appear."
She says criteria are in place for hospitals and doctors to observe patients with flu-like symptoms to determine if the patient has had contact with poultry, and to learn details of their recent travel history.
Unlike other types of flu, which pose a higher risk to certain groups, such as the
13

very young and the very old and people with chronic medical conditions or compromised immune systems, pandemic influenza is less discriminating. There is no immunity to this virus in humans.
"Pandemic influenza is different from other types of flu, in that 100 percent of the population is potentially at risk," says Lance. "We don't know how many people could get sick."
Lance says a full-scale pandemic could overwhelm hospitals, emergency medical services and other health care providers. She says an estimated 40 percent of the work force would stay home, dealing a brutal blow to the economy. Maintaining societal infrastructure could be very difficult in this circumstance.
Her advice to local first responders and health care organizations is to work closely with public health officials and use standard protective precautions for respiratory viruses. The public will be informed of methods to protect themselves and their families, and planning for in-home health care options is under way.

Karen Waters, vice president for professional services for the Georgia Hospital Association, says Georgia's 160 hospitals work in cooperation with public health officials, and that they carefully follow "trending" information, such as the availability of vaccines and the number and nature of emergency room visits.
Waters says pandemic influenza would be handled like any other infectious disease, but points out that capacity and equipment would be major issues. She says a regional coordinating system would give hospitals that become swamped the capability to transfer patients to other facilities and discharge or divert non-critical patients. She said hospitals would also work closely with the news media to disseminate vital information.
Health care would have to be rationed, and both Williams and Lance say "self isolation" wo uld be the most effective way to deal with the crisis.
Not a new flu
Avian influenza is nothing new, and has mutated over the years, creating some types that can be transmitted to humans. Currently there are two potentially zoonotic types, H5 and H7.
Mutations would have to occur before the virus could be easily transmitted from person to person. If that happened, Lance says the most likely means of transmission would be respiratory droplets. She says a cough or sneeze could propel the droplets six feet, and that the virus may survive eight hours on environmental surfaces. Covering one's mouth and nose while sneezing or coughing can prevent spread of respiratory viruses, and frequent handwashing by everyone will reduce infections. Getting a yearly flu vaccine will reduce the risk of influenza during our traditional flu season.
To ensure the U.S. is prepared for this threat, comprehensive summits on bird flu are planned in each state. Georgia's Pandemic Influenza Summit, "Georgia Prepares," was held January 13, 2006, in Atlanta, under the leadership of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt and Governor Sonny Perdue. More than 350 people attended. Health officials say the summit raised awareness, strengthened cooperation and increased local preparedness efforts between the public and private sectors, volunteer organizations, educators and the faith-based community.
Winter 2006 EMERGENCY MANAGER

E-Team Ensures Homeland Security Interoperability
By Dend Brummer, Communications Analyst

T here is a new weapon in the war in terrorism. Forget all about the latest guns and gadgets.
Imagine a Web-based program that allows metro Atlanta law enforcement agencies to virtually share and exchange terrorism tips and leads, generate Geographical Information System (GIS) maps and share and track their assets in real time.
This program is not stuck in the mind of an information technology geek. It is a reality known as E-Team.
For years, E-Team has been used in the emergency management field as a crisis management tool during natural disasters. But in the aftermath of 9111, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Georgia Information Sharing and Analysis Center (GISAC) decided to give E-Team a new use in the battle of preventing terrorism in Georgia.
"From the 9/11 attacks, we realized that Georgia did not have an effective system of sharing terrorism information and intelligence between local and state agencies," says GBI Inspector Bob Hardin, who runs GISAC. "We desperately needed a system to cure this interoperability problem and harness the power of several law enforcement agencies working together. Instead of reinventing the wheel, we decided to go with E-Team, because it provides an incredible degree of real-time situational awareness ."
Through the Georgia Terrorism Intelligence Program (GTIP) , the City of Atlanta Police Department, Cobb Coun ty Police Department, Clayton County Police Department, DeKalb County Police Department, Fulton County Police Department and Gwinnett County Police Department are able to use E-Team to share leads, tips and pertinent intelligence information.
"This program is wonderful because we can now pool our resources and information to detect and deter any terrorist

activities," explains

Sergeant Azie B.

Horne of the Atlanta

Police Department's

Homeland Security

Intelligence Unit. "I

cannot think of any

other vehicle that

could effectively do

this ."

By simply logging

onto the GBI's

E-Team Web site, par-

ticipating agencies can

record tips, share

information and com-

municate in real-time usmg a common interface. The agencies can share tips through the GTIP information entry form, track events with incident reports, monitor resource requests and critical assets and even disseminate information through e-mail, pagers, and text mes-

GBI Inspector Bob Hardin (above right) was instrumental in bringing E-Team technology to Georgia to fight terrorism . Local law enforcement personnel are being trained to use E-Team (right) in order to pool information and share tips with other departments.

sages to partnering

organizations.

"E-Team is a really unique system

because law enforcement agencies do not

have to be in an operations center to know

what is happening during an incident,"

says Don Robertson, program manager of

GTIP. "Because the software is Web-based,

agencies can log on anywhere to get and

share information. For example, if GISAC

receives a bomb threat targeting Atlanta's

City Hall, they can post that information

to E-Team, and the City of Atlanta Police

Department can immediately get the

details of that phone call, and then post

the details of their response to the threat.

"When necessary or advantageous, the

GTIP agencies can work together and sup-

port each other in an operational theater,

and can use E-Team as a command and

control mechanism to help manage the multi-agency operation in real time," Robertson continues. "This program would literally keep everyone on the same page during an operation."
All information that is logged into E-Team is intelligently linked and can be sorted, prioritized, and even viewed in text or map format. The program gives the agencies a variety of ways to analyze the information. To make communication safe, E-Team operates on a secure platform.
"E-Team functions as a true one-stop shop for information," says Hardin. "This is not another intelligence database program. It is a situational awareness tool that is built on timely information and information sharing."

EMERGENCY MANAGER Winter 2006

14

2005 Ranks Second in Tornadoes for Decade
By Ken Davis, Public Affairs Officer

I n terms of weather, there is no doubt that 2005 will be recorded as a one of the most severe in recent history. In Georgia, 43 tornadoes killed at least five people, injured approximately three dozen others, and caused close to $100 million in property damage. This places 2005 second only to 2004 in the total number of storms, and also second to 2003 in the number of deaths. Georgia recorded six tornado deaths in 2003 and 46 tornado occurrences in 2004.
Indeed, the weather legacy left by 2005 has already flooded the annals of meteorology and hydrology, and is spilling over into its own chapter of American history called "Katrina. "
This new chapter in our nation's history, however, largely focuses on the suffering, death, destruction and evacuation after Katrina, a powerful, late-summer hurricane that decimated the Gulf Coast from Texas to Alabama, and especially New Orleans. But many states located hundreds of miles from the Gulf also bore the brunt of Hurricane Katrina's postlandfall exploits, particularly Georgia.
15

In just nine hours on August 29, 2005, a year's worth of tornadoes escorted the remnams of Hurricane Katrina into Georgia with a vengeance. A total of 20 tornadoes slammed into the state that day. The first hit Heard County, located in western Georgia on the Alabama border, in the late afternoon, and the last one touched down in White County, in the town of Helen, located in the northeast Georgia mountains, around midnight. Sixteen confirmed tornadoes touched down in north and central Georgia alone. All together, there were three F2s, three F 1s and 10 FOs reported in north and central Georgia.
Two people were killed in Carroll County when an F2 tornado passed two miles east of Roopville. One man was killed and a large chicken house destroyed when he went to check on the birds during the storm. Another person died nearby in a traffic accident. At least nine others were injured, and dozens of homes and businesses were heavily damaged or destroyed. Officials estimated property damages at nearly $14 million statewide.

Particularly hard hit was the poultry industry, especially in west Georgia, where more than 375,000 chickens died when about 30 chicken houses were destroyed in Heard and Carroll counties.
That was the day with the most, and, perhaps the worst, tornado activity. However, the year began on a tragic note less than two weeks after New Year celebrations ended. On January 13, 2005, a tornado destroyed three homes south of Arlington in Early County. A retired couple died when their mobile home was destroyed. Three others in the home were injured.
Two months later, just after midnight on March 22, 2005, an F3 tornado damaged or destroyed 24 buildings in and around the southwest Georgia town of Donalsonville in Seminole County. One person died in a mobile home.
These deadly tornadoes in 2005 occurred in seven out the 12 calendar months. Tornadoes began and ended the year 2005. They touched down in January, March, May, July, August, October and December.
Winter 2006 EMERGENCY MANAGER

Severe Weather Awareness Week Provides Opportunity to Prepare for Disaster
Governor Sonny Perdue has proclaimed the week of February 19-25, 2006, as Severe Weather Awareness Week in Georgia.
Severe Weather Awareness Week is designed to educate Georgians about safety, preparedness, and response procedures for a variety of severe weather events, such as floods, hurricanes, lightning, thunderstorms, tornadoes and winter storms.
Everyone is encouraged to review their family safety plans during this time, make sure they have a disaster supply kit on hand, and make sure they have a National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA) Weather Radio.
In addition to publicizing weather safety measures and severe weather events through the news media, a statewide severe weather drill was conducted by the National Weather Service on Wednesday, February 22, 2006. Schools, churches, businesses and local governments were encouraged to participate in this annual event.
This spread of tornadic events throughout the year in Georgia actually does little to dispel the notion of a "tornado season" for our state.
Quite to the contrary. The year 2005 clearly illustrated, once again, that tornado season in Georgia does, in fact, last from January through December.
EMERGENCY MANAGER Winter 2006

Take this quiz and see ifyou're ready for the next tornado outbreak.
1) The avenge forward speed of a tornado is ... a) 10 mph b) 20 mph c) 30 mph d) 50 mph
2) The fim documented tornado forecast was issued by military forecasters at a) Tinker Air Force Base b) Keesler Air Force Base c) Edwards Air Force Base d) Warner Robins Air Force Base
3) The largest number of tornadoes for any month since 1950 oc:curred in
a) May2003 b) June 1998 c) June 1993 d) June 1999
4) The largest tornado on record - 2.5 miles wide oc:curred near ...
a) Rolla, Missouri b) Troy, Alabama c) Norman, Oklahoma d) Hallam, Nebraska
p (fr !11 (f .'11 (i !:J (l SJ.1msuy
16

Fuel CRUNCH
Puts Emergency Responders to the Test
By Buzz Weiss, Public Affairs Coordinator

''My biggest
fear is alack of fuel.
''
17

Spiraling fuel prices over the past year have not only bedeviled motorists, but also put state and local public safety agencies to the test, forcing them to find ways to maintain their levels of protection without busting their budgets or slashing vital services.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, fuel prices that had already been on the rise skyrocketed beyond the $3.00 mark. Plus, the availability of fuel was often spotty.
As summer turned to fall, private citizens either grudgingly paid the piper or found ways to ease the pain at the pump which often meant scaling back their driving, combining Saturday errands, putting Junior on the school bus instead of driving him to class, donning a bathrobe and working from home, and even trading the Expedition for an Escort.
Bur the challenge was considerably greater and more critical for police, sheriff and fire departments and emergency medical services, which didn't have the option of parking their cars and trucks. Public safety agencies were significantly impacted and forced to look for creative ways to continue to serve their citizens.
"For us, it was not so much a cost 'ssu aS"an allocation issue," says LaGrange Police Chief Loms Deckmar, whose department had alread egun ro economize earlier in the year. A eet of venerable Crown Vies was replaced ith less thirsty Dodge Intrepids and Chevy Impalas.
Deckmar says the change in his 50-vehicle fleet was based on per ormance and needs. When supplies plummeted and prices soared, he says the ve!liicle changeover "mitigated some o the costs. "
Nevertheless, that alone didn't solve the problem. So, city offici s suspended the department's "take ho e" policy, allowing only K-9 offi.eers, on-call detectives, traffic in estigators, and officers with speci assignments to take their vehicles

home. That order remained in force until late October. Deckmar says the fuel crisis has had no impact on his department's budget, however, and he has not been directed to reduce any future costs.
Contracts with fuel vendors helped modulate price jumps in DeKalb County where Fire Chief David Foster declares his "biggest fear is a lack offuel."
Foster says the fuel crisis forced his department to cut back on unnecessary travel, including routine hydrant checks. By early November, though, the department was returning to business as usual.
The chief notes that comprehensive planning for terrorism helped the department to be better prepared to cope with the specter of fuel shortages.
While local governments across the state implemented a laundry list of conservation measures, most targeted nonemergency personnel and vehicles not used for public safety duties and encouraged emergency officials to join conservation efforts.
Marietta Fire Chief Jackie Gibbs says fire departments "don't have a lot of fat to cut. We still have to respond to emergency calls and do hydrant checks and in-service inspections. "
He adds that saving fuel is particularly difficult for fire departments because they have to leave the trucks' motors running while on a scene, not only to work fires , but ro power the emergency lights for safety reasons on other calls.
Gibbs says city fleet managers are making sure that fuel tanks are topped off while they grapple with a 32 percent hike in the budget for vehicle operations.
Captain Pere Nelms, emergency management coordinator for the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services, says a red flag was raised when the Peachtree City Police Department called to say they were down to their last 200 gallons of fuel. Chief Jack Krakeel, who also serves as EMA
Winter 2006 EMERGENCY MANAGER

director, convened an emergency meeting

calls. But Parker is quick to point out that

to inventory fuel supplies and plan a strat- his units will respond if dispatchers deter-

egy. Fortunately, the Coun ty Board of

mine that the call involves a life-

Education had recently acquired a sizable

threatening situation.

fuel supply, some of which was loaned to

Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital

public safety agencies .

operates one of the largest, and the only

Nelms says good planning and sound hospital-based, ambulance fleet in the

budgeting and fiscal policies by coun ty

South, with 35 trucks plying the city's

leaders lessened the impact of th e crisi~s-.-----srreets 24/7, res ponding to an average of

The fuel crunch "hit us dramatically" 225

day.

says Georgia Public Safety Commissioner

EMS lo istics supervisor Gene

Colonel Bill Hitchens, who implemented

Davenport says ollowing Katrina, the cost

a strict mileage reduoaon plan when gas

of diesel fuel for is fleet doubled to more

prices began to sur e.

than $12,000 a we . Like other agencies,

Hitchens says the plan allowed troop- Grady officials worri'ed not only abo ut

ers to travel direcDly from home

to their patrol areas, rather than

having to sign in t their posts.

It also gave comm nders the

green light to assi troopers to

beats near their homes.

Hitchens says troopel\ driving

to ass

ai.gnndmferonmts

wtrearienirnegquain.red

other

carpool. Another cost-saving

move was put in place two years

ago, when the Crown Vic fleet

switched from premium to regu-

lar fuel.

Mileage was reduced by IO

percent on the heels of Katrina,

but Hitchens says costs still rose.

From July to September, the

monthly fuel bill jumped from

$2 16,000 to $386,000.

Nevertheless, Hitchens says

the mileage reduction had no

negative effect on law enforce-

ment services, noting, "We do

what we have to do."

T he fuel dilemma, however,

forced the Forsyth Fire

Department to make some sig-

nificant changes in the way they

operate.

price, but also about availability. Grady's

Chief Walter Parker says the depart-

fuel contract provided some breathing

ment's trucks are now kept fully fueled at

room, but crews were often forced to trav-

all times, spurred by concerns earlier this

el to the fringes of metro Atlanta to find

yea r that fuel supplies could be interrupt-

contract stations that hadn't run dry.

ed. Katrina also forced Parker to scuttle

Davenport says new policies require

the twice-daily comprehensive checks of

that ambulance tanks be topped off when

the department's apparatus, which includ- the fuel gauge reaches the three-fo urths

ed everything from pumps to pressure

mark, and drivers not let their engines

valves.

idle. H e adds that a "posting plan" already

"Other than answering calls, for the

in place helped to deploy am bulances effi-

three weeks following Katrina we only

cien tl y.

cranked the trucks once a day to make

Budget officials in Savannah say over-

sure they were ready to roll," says Carter,

all fuel costs were running 13.5 percent

who has since reinstated once-a-day com-

higher than the previous year and were

prehensive checks.

projected to be just over 36 percent higher

A Forsyth engine no longer routinely

when the fiscal yea r ended on

accompan ies an amb ulance to medical

December 31, 2005 . As of the end of

October 2005 , fuel costs for police cars were approximately $50,000 higher than the entire previous year.
Research and budget manager Wanda W illiams says a healthy eco nomy is helping the city get over the hump, observing, "Revenues are performing every week, some expenditures are down, and this will balance itself out. "
Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Sergeant Mike Wilson mai ntains, "It hasn't impacted the way we do business here. "
Most agencies contacted cited ongoing, comp rehensive planning and
Although fuel prices have dropped since their dramatic rise in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, some first response agencies have taken steps to conserve fuel and reduce costs. Initially, the DeKalb County Fire Department cut back on routine hydrant checks, but by November operations had returned to normal. judicious budget policies in helping them weather the storm.
According to AAA Auto Club South spokesman Randy Bly, diesel fuel spiked at $3.348 per gallon, and regular fuel plateaued at $3. 107 in early September. By earl y November, regular prices had fallen to $2.324 and diesel had dropped to $2.801 , down notably from the days following Katrina, but still well above prices recorded the previous year.

EMERGENCY MANAGER Winter 2006

18

How DeKalb County Strives to Keep Kids
5afe at 5choo\

By Keith Sumas, Area School Safety Coordinator

Safety is a critical concern for parents, students, and school and government officials in Georgia. Although lawmakers established stringent safety standards for schools, it is up to individual school districts to incorporate these regulations into accepted practice.
The DeKalb County School System in metro Atlanta is one district that has created a successful safety program that combines preparedness, discipline, security initiatives, technology, training and partnerships on a day-to-day basis. Officials work together to implement a variety of methods to ensure student safety.
Preparedness publications
Per state law, every school is required to develop a school safety plan. According to the National School Safety Center, however, DeKalb's school safety plan template is the one of the most comprehensive in the nation.
DeKalb school officials developed clear, succinct emergency preparedness and response protocols to guide all levels of staff through several possible crisis scenarios, including severe weather, fire or hazardous material events, and emergency lockdown. The template also contains documentation to record emergency drills, a list of emergency evacuation routes and reunification sites, safety audit checklists, and prevention initiatives.
Trained staff review these plans, then they are submitted to the Office of Homeland Security-Georgia Emergency Management Agency (OHS-GEMA) for approval . Once the plan is approved, each employee receives a copy.
In addition, spiral-bound flipcharrs listing emergency response procedures and contact information for several crises are distributed ro each facility. Information is color coded for easy access. These charrs are hung on a wall in every room in the building.

Deputy Director Jim Hanson monitors activity at the DeKalb County Schools Department of Public Safety emergency operations center.
Finally, all teachers receive Emergency Response Procedures and Protocols. This bright neon yellow handbook serves the dual purpose of providing standard emergency response information and becoming a beacon for first responders. If a teacher needs assistance in the classroom during an emergency, this handbook can be slid under the door to signal public safety personnel.
All of these publications are updated regularly.
Discipline
Discipline is an important part of DeKalb's school safety methodology, and numerous publications are available to personnel. All administrative staff receive an electronic copy of Administrative Procedures for Student Discipline, which provides detailed information about discipline, safety procedures, and state and federal laws. Research on Student Relations and Discipline also is available ro administrarors. This collection contains discipline research and strategies, program models, yo uth violence prevention programs, and other safety information.
Interpreting school rules and administering discipline is the responsibility of the Student Relations department. It also receives reporrs from the Safe and Drug Free Schools' 1-800-SAY-STOP hotline,

where students can anonymously pass on information abour weapons, drugs, bullying and other safety concerns. Student Relations staff notify the school and help with the subsequent response .
Information abour discipline, attendance records and safety materials can be accessed quickly through FirstClass, a Web-based messaging and communications system. In addition, all school forms and letters are posted here. When a student is accused of a serious violation of school rules and state law, including weapons, violence and drugs, a panel of administrators, school psychologists and social workers hear evidence by the school system, the student and parents as part of the Student Evidentiary Hearing Committee. This is a good way for administrators to receive practical training on discipline and safety scenarios as they analyze the way fellow administrarors apply (or misapply) procedures. Students have a role in ensuring their safety as well. Everyone receives a copy of DeKalb's Code of Student Conduct, which informs students and parents of behavioral expectations, penalties, prevention measures, and other safety-related information. Students and their parents must sign this document.
Crime prevention
DeKalb County has continued ro stay ahead of the curve in the area of school safety by incorporating innovative crimefighting initiatives into overall strategy.
DeKalb was the first school system in Georgia ro send the GBI Sex Offender Registry, which identifies sex offenders who live within 1,000 feet of school property, to all principals regularly. This information is then sent to the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office for investigation.
Officials also created a school police department that is structured the same way as a city's, with a director, deputy

Winter 2006 EMERGENCY MANAGER

director, sergeants, detectives, and K-9, gang intelligence and investigations units. In addition, a school resource officer is assigned to every middle and high school. These experienced officers are POSTcertified, academy-trained and qualified to work specifically with schools.
To deter violence, theft and vandalism, cameras and security systems have been installed in all facilities. School police and certain school officials have remote access to this system so they can assess a potential situation before security personnel enter the building.
Using technology for better communication
Good communication is essential to ensure a coordinated response to any emergency. The DeKalb County School System is embracing technology to improve communication.
Principals, school police and appropriate personnel have Nextel cell phones with regular cell, direct-connect and text message capabilities. As a result, emergency text messages can be delivered within minutes. Phone trees also have been organized to spread brief messages quickly and effectively to a group of people.
School police and staff from the district's Student Relations department have police, fire and EMS radios to monitor incidents in the community that may affect the safety of schools.
Provisions also have been made to communicate during a natural disaster as well as a man-made one. When severe weather threatens, conditions are monitored over the Internet and regular discussions are held with the National Weather Service. In addition, every DeKalb County facility has a National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA) weather radio to alert them to the threat of severe weather.
A training leader
To keep up with the latest trends and stay ahead of the curve, DeKalb County school officials provide a variety of training to personnel, including new administrators. Training classes are scheduled throughout the school year and cover topics such as safe school planning and emergency preparedness. Individual training is provided upon request.
Moreover, each school psychologist, counselor and social worker is trained on
EMERGENCY MANAGER Winter 2006

the National Office of Victim Assistance's (NOVA) crisis intervention and group debriefing model to help victims of a crime or trauma. Refresher courses are offered every year.
Personnel also receive training by specialists from DeKalb's Prevention and Intervention program. The goal of this program is to reduce substance abuse, violence and teen pregnancy. Toward that end, Prevention and Intervention specialists provide training classes that cover topics such as bullying, media violence, con-
Officer Malone and his K-9 partner, Bodi, randomly search lockers at a middle school.
flier resolution and respecting others. In addition, targeted training is available to schools with specific safety and discipline concerns.
Another component of the Prevention and Intervention program is the Safe School Initiative, which helps administrators with discipline and safety planning by using data to develop prevention strategies.
Prevention and Intervention specialists also collaborate with parents and civic organizations to provide a variety of support groups and after-school programs. For example, they have teamed up with police officers to conduct Gaining Results with Intervention and Prevention (GRIP), a substance abuse education program for middle and high school students, the POINTS/POINTS II violence intervention programs, and CRTP, which handles driving violations and other referrals from court.
Partnering for success
DeKalb County school officials recognize the importance of cultivating mutually beneficial partnerships with local, state and federal agencies. They frequently collaborate with them on new

initiatives to prepare for man-made and natural disasters. As a result, the DeKalb School System can access a tremendous amount of information, resources and expertise at a moment's notice.
School superintendent Dr. Crawford Lewis is a sworn member of the DeKalb Board of Health (DBOH) , which enables the school system to receive health-related information that may impact schools. In turn, Dr. Lewis provides the DBOH with insight into school health issues.
DeKalb's Student Relations ream plays a role in rhe DBOH's internal emergency preparedness planning and are members of the DBOH's Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Steering Committee. MRC trains volunteers to assist their neighbors in the event of a bio-terrorism or other major event. DeKalb School System employees often volunteer their time with this program. In fact, a staff member received the 2003 DBOH Volunteer of the Year award.
Student Relations personnel maintain a good working relationship with other local, state and federal agencies. For instance, the district's Attendance Protocol Committee, which develops attendance policy, is chaired by the DeKalb Solicitor-General and includes representatives from DeKalb's Superior and Juvenile Courts, the District Attorney's Office, police department, Decatur City Schools, and civic and reacher organizations.
DeKalb school officials also regularly communicate with the DeKalb Emergency Management Agency, OHSGEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U .S. Department of Homeland Security. In fact, DeKalb school officials collaborate with OHS-GEMA's School Safety Unit to conduct safety assessments of schools each year. An OHS-GEMA school safety coordinator provides feedback and helps correct areas of concern.
These are just a few of the programs and strategies DeKalb County school officials developed to keep students and staff safe. By taking a collaborative approach, officials will continue to be a proactive leader in school safety.
Special thanks to DeKalb County School System Public Safety Director Jeanne Wood-Shujfett and Deputy Director Jim Hanson, along with Student Relations Administrator Quentin Fretwell and Deputy Superintendent Garry McGiboney.
20

OHS-GEMA staffers who went to the Gulf Coast to assist in recovery efforts were shocked by the scope of the devastation. Entire zip codes had been wiped out by Katrina.

HURRICANE KATRINA:

Lessons Learned from

a Catastrophe

By Buzz TM'iss, Public Affairs Coordinator

Experrs at the National Hurricane Center say Hurricane Katrina "will likely be recorded as the worst natural disaster in rhe history of the Uni red
Stares." Ir wi ll undoubtedly be the event
by which all other disasters will be judged for years ro come.
A storm of this magnitude nor only burns its imprint on rhe minds of the emergency responders from around the nation who traveled to the battered Gulf Coast to help devastated communities, bur also serves as a reacher that will convey valuable lessons for rhe future.
Approximately 3,000 Georgia responders, including National Guard personnel, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and civilians, were deployed to parts of Louisiana and Mississippi in the days and weeks following Katrina's August 29 , 2005 , landfall. They tell of rhe lessons they learned in a stricken region struggling to respond.
Micah Hamrick, assistant director of the Office of Homeland Security-Georgia Emergency Management Agency's (OHS-
21

GEMA) Terrorism Emergency Response and Preparedness Division, arrived in Baron Rouge shorrly after Katrina's landfall ro lead a Georgia-based advance ream deployed through the 49-srare Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC).
Hamrick found a community in chaos. He says he encountered inadequate communications, a lack of direction and leadership, and an absence of clear procedures and protocols under which ro operate.
"Bur until any of us have been through something like this, no one can say we could have done better," Hamrick is quick to point our.
Hamrick says what is important is that his experiences in Louisiana will help to more clearly define what Georgia officials need ro keep in mind as they continue to perfect the state's preparedness efforts.
He says one of rhe key lessons learned is the importance of having clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place ro

address management and logistics issues. He also emphasizes the need for training "For the most part, I think we're well prepared here in Georgia," says Hamrick. "Bur our mindset needs to change on what we've been prepared for when we look at the magnitude of Katrina."
School Safety Coordinator John Cleveland was part of a four-person OHSGEMA ream dispatched to Mississippi to help with damage assessment and other assignments. He says overwhelmed emergency workers there asked OHS-GEMA to help establish and manage disaster recovery centers.
Cleveland says Mississippi officials had difficulty getting rhe stare and local personnel needed to handle rhe myriad tasks required in rhe wake of Katrina. He says a critical lesson learned - or reiterated - was the importance of knowing how to establish multiple DRCs.
"I believe Georgia is in good shape in terms of opening and running DRCs," says Cleveland. "Bur it's easier said than done. "
Field Coordinator Dan Yeargin led rhe OHS-GEMA ream. He says the "pitfalls in preparedness" in Mississippi are instructive in that they show no stare can be completely prepared for a storm like Katrina. Bur he also says what he saw underscores the importance of the relationship rhar Georgia disaster officials have with their local counterparrs.
"I think one of our greatest strengths is our partnership with local EMAs, public safety agencies, and city and county officials, which wo uld enable us ro respond effectively," says Yeargin.
With more than 1,000 deaths along the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts, body recovery was a viral task. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) sent experienced body recovery reams to assist Mississippi authorities.
Dr. Kris Sperry, Georgia's chief medical examiner, says local coroners were "in over their heads. " He says Georgia reams, along with Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) reams from around rhe country, were ready to help, bur encountered a situation that was ofren "disjointed and fragmented. " The lesson to be learned, says Sperry, is rhar there has to be a plan in place, with the requisite training and exercmng.
"Know what to ask for when asking for help and define the parameters of what you need, " he says.
Winter 2006 EMERGENCY MANAGER

Please join us for the 2006 Governor's Emergency Management Conference ....

Partners
in Emergency

~------------------------------
Register now for OHS-GEMA's Governor's Emergency Management Conference, "Partners in Emergency Management. " You are encouraged to register online at www.gema.state.ga.us. After you hit the "submit" button, print out your registration form and mail your payment to the address below
Name:

Manage111ent

Agency/Organization: Address: Address 2:

City:

State:

Zip:

Telephone:

Fax:

E-mail:
Q)

~

T-shirt size (circle one):

M

L

XL

XXL XXXL

'O

Q)

:t::
0

PLEASE FILL OUT ONLY IF YOU ARE BRINGING A GUEST

'O
cO>
0

Guests will be admitted to the Wednesday reception and Wednesday and Thursday luncheons for an additional $15 per event. Please provide the following information and enclose payment with

(ii

registration:

'u5

Guest name: _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Q)
en

will be attending

l1l Q)

Wednesday luncheon ($15 per guest)

Number of guests:

Total $

a_ Wednesday reception ($15 per guest)

Number of guests:

Total $

Thursday luncheon ($15 per guest)

Number of guests:

Total :$

NOTE: Thursday night social has been cancelled by the Savannah River Boat Company.

PAYMENT INFORMATION

Enclosed is my payment of $_ _ _ for _ _ (number of registrants),

at a fee of $125/person, plus $

for guest fees

Total amount is$_ __ _

Make checks payable to OHS-GEMA. Please mail payment along with this form to: OHS-GEMA's Governor's Emergency Management Conference Coordinator Post Office Box 18055 Atlanta, Georgia 30316-0055
DEADLINE IS APRIL 1, 2006

~------------------------------

Sperry believes Geo rgia, with its training, experience and equipment, is well prepared to tackle a mass casual ty incident.
Floyd Coun ty Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Scotty H an cock arrived in Mississippi's EOC o n Katrina's heels to find it underequipped and under-staffed . Like Cleveland, he found local emergency offi cials to be overwhelmed .
In addition to equipment and staffi ng issues, H an cock also says EMAC needs to do a better job of making it possible for responders from member states to comm uni cate.
His lesson learned ? "We need to be thinking about co mmunications, leadership, and being able to
EMERGENCY MANAGER Winter 2006

pull our resources together, " says H ancock. "But I don't think that yo u can fully prepare for something like this."
In the wake of a disaster, stin ging criticisms must be issued and acce pted. H ardhitting ques tions must be asked and answered. Val id ass umptions must be chal lenged and reco nsidered . And existing

Victim s waited in long lines for assistance at the disaster recove ry center in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Some people became fru strated , but one woman saw it as an opportunity to help. She returned the next day to volunteer.
plans must be examined and re-eval uated. Katrina's lesso ns will, no doubt, set the process in motion .
22

OHS-GEMA Post Office Box 18055 Atlanta, Georgia 30316-0055 1-800-TRY-GEMA www.ohs.state.ga. us
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