[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY B FOR COUNTY.
IF YOU HAVE JOINED US IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, THE GUESTS TODAY SHOULD BE, UH, NOT A NEW FACE TO YOU.
IT IS NEIL BAXLEY, COLONEL NEIL BAXLEY IS THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COMMANDER FOR BUFORD COUNTY.
AND THIS BEING A ALMOST HURRICANE SEASON, WE WANT TO WELCOME HIM BACK TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE, UH, PREPARATIONS THAT HIS DIVISION IS MAKING AS WELL AS WHAT HE DOES WHEN HE'S NOT WORKING FOR HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU ON COASTLINE.
THANK YOU VERY GLAD TO BE HERE AS ALWAYS.
SO, UM, THERE'S A MOVIE YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH BACK IN THE EIGHTIES, UH, GROUNDHOG DAY.
YOU REMEMBER, UM, BILL MURRAY WOULD WAKE UP EVERY MORNING AT SIX O'CLOCK AND IT WAS THE SAME OLD STORY.
YOU KIND OF HAVE A GROUNDHOG YEAR BECAUSE YOU KIND OF GO THROUGH THE SAME PREPARATIONS IN ANTICIPATION OF A NAME STORM, POSSIBLY HITTING THE LOW COUNTRY, UH, SHARE WITH OUR VIEWERS WHAT, UH, ALL THOSE REGULAR WEEKLY PREPARATIONS THAT YOU GO THROUGH, UH, ENTAIL.
THAT'S ACTUALLY A PRETTY GOOD ANALYSIS, RICK, UH, BECAUSE IT IS GROUNDHOG DAY.
THERE'S ONLY SO MANY NEW THINGS TO CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, WITH THE HURRICANE COMING, WE HAVE, UH, WE SPEND AT LEAST ONE DAY A WEEK, EVERY WEEK OF THE YEAR DOING SOMETHING RELATED TO HURRICANE PLANNING.
WE DO A LOT OF OTHER PLANNING.
WE PLAN FOR EARTHQUAKES AND, UH, WINTER STORMS AND S SEVERE WEATHER LIKE WHAT WE HAD TWO NIGHTS AGO DOWN IN BOSTON.
AND WE'RE ALWAYS PLANNING FOR THAT, BUT THE HURRICANE IS THE 800 POUND GORILLA IN THE ROOM.
EVERYBODY IS FAMILIAR WITH THOSE.
UH, THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT ONE WOULD COME.
SO THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF BEHIND THE SCENES WORK THAT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DOES TO PREPARE BUFORD COUNTY, UH, FOR THE HURRICANE SEASON AND FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF A STRIKE.
WE, UH, WE HAVE AGREEMENTS WITH LOTS OF VENDORS THAT WOULD PROVIDE SERVICES IN THE EVENT OF, OF A STRIKE.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE AGREEMENTS WITH, UH, CVS PHARMACY, UH, TO STAND UP PHARMACIES, SHOULD WE TAKE A CATASTROPHIC STRIKE IN THE PHARMACIES ARE DAMAGED AND CANNOT BE THE BUILDINGS THAT WE ENJOY TODAY CAN'T BE USED.
SO THEY HAVE MOBILE PHARMACIES.
CVS HAS THEM, UH, IN WALGREENS DOES TOO.
UH, THEY HAVE MOBILE PHARMACIES THAT THEY CAN BRING IN, BUT THAT TAKES AN AGREEMENT AHEAD OF TIME, UH, DX INVOLVED IN THAT AGREEMENT.
WE PROVIDE SECURITY FOR THAT SITUATION.
UH, WE PICK THE LOCATIONS, IT MIGHT BE THE EXISTING LOCATION, OR IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT'S MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC THAN THE EXISTING LOCATION.
SO WE HAVE TO REVIEW THOSE AGREEMENTS.
UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CHANGE JOBS AND IT, YOU INTRODUCE NEW, YOU HAVE MEETINGS AND GO OVER THE SAME PLANS.
WE'VE GOT CONTINUITY IN OUR STAFF, BUT THEY MAY BE NEW.
UM, HOW DO WE FEED ALL THE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS IN THE COUNTY? WE'VE GOT ABOUT 1500 EMERGENCY RESPONDERS IN THE COUNTY THAT WHEN THE GOVERNOR ORDERS EVACUATION AND THE RESTAURANTS ALL CLOSED, THAT SORT OF THING, AND WE'RE KEEPING THESE PEOPLE FROM GOING ANYWHERE ELSE TO EAT, HOW DO WE FEED THEM? SO WE HAVE FEEDING CONTRACTS WITH VENDORS.
WE HAVE CONTRACTS FOR, UH, SUPPLIES LIKE POTABLE WATER, UH, AND THIS SORT OF THING THAT IF THE SUPPLY, IF THE NORMAL SUPPLIES THAT ERUPTED, WE CAN PLACES, ARE YOU FEELING COMFORTABLE THAT EVERYTHING WILL BE AVAILABLE? BECAUSE WHEN WE DID THIS PROGRAM LAST YEAR, WE WERE JUST REALLY KIND OF GETTING INTO THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC.
WE ARE PAST THE WORST PART, BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE THIS PROBLEM WITH SUPPLY CHAINS AND WITH PEOPLE NOT WANTING TO GO BACK TO WORK, YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT YOU'LL HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED.
UH, IN THE, IN THE PANDEMIC ENVIRONMENT, WE HAD SOME, SOME SEVERE SHORTAGES, ESPECIALLY IN, UH, PPE, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT MASK AND GLOVES, BECAUSE THERE WAS SUCH A DEMAND WORLDWIDE FOR THOSE SUPPLIES.
THERE'S NOT THIS SURGING DEMAND FOR IT.
SO THAT SUPPLY CHAIN IS RELATIVELY ON UNINTERRUPTED.
AND THE VENDORS THAT SUPPLIED EVERY DAY ARE CONTINUING TO SUPPLY.
UH, THEY THEY'VE NOT SUFFERED TERRIBLE SHUTDOWNS OR THIS SORT OF THING.
SO, AND THERE, AND THEN WE HAVE STOCKPILES.
WE HAVE STOCKPILES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
WE HAVE STOCKPILES AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND WE HAVE STOCKPILES AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL WHERE THERE ARE CASES OF LET'S TAKE BOTTLED WATER.
THERE ARE CASES AND CASES AND CASES AND PALLETS AND PALLETS AND PALLETS OF BOTTLED WATER SITTING IN THESE WAREHOUSES.
A HURRICANE WOULD BE A LOCALIZED EVENT.
IT WOULD BE A TREMENDOUS IMPACT TO BUFORD COUNTY OR THE SACCHARINE COAST, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO AFFECT TENNESSEE OR OKLAHOMA OR ARIZONA, THIS SORT OF THING.
SO THE SUPPLY CHAIN WOULD CONTINUE TO RUN.
NOW, IF WE WERE TO TAKE SEVEN OR EIGHT AT THE SAME TIME, WHICH IS NOT
[00:05:01]
REALLY POSSIBLE, I GUESS, BUT IF WE HAVE SEVEN OR EIGHT SECTIONS OF THE COUNTRY ALL IMPACTED AT THE SAME TIME, THEN WE MIGHT GET SOME CONCERN ABOUT THE WOW.SO YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT A MINUTE AGO, UM, THE STORM OF A COUPLE OF NIGHTS AGO DOWN IN THE BLUFFTON AREA.
AND IT TOOK ME A SECOND TO KIND OF PROCESS THAT WAS AT THE SAME, WAS THAT THE THING THAT CAUSED THAT TREE TO FALL DOWN ON GIBBET ROAD, UH, IT WAS NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF, UH, GIVE IT ON A HIGHWAY 46.
UH, IT ACTUALLY DESTROYED TREES ALONG ABOUT A THREE MILE STRETCH.
UH, I TALKED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE THAT NIGHT AND I TALKED TO HIM AGAIN THE NEXT DAY AFTER WE SENT HIM A BUNCH OF PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE AND WHAT IT WAS, IT WAS A SMALL LOCALIZED UNDER SALE.
AND AS IT COLLAPSED, AND I'M NOT A METEOROLOGIST BY ANY MEANS, BUT WHAT BASICALLY HAPPENS IS AS IT COLLAPSES, THE WIND GOES STRAIGHT DOWN AND THEN GOES OUT AND IT KNOCKED OVER DOZENS OF TRAILERS.
SO WE WOULD OF COURSE EXPECT SOMETHING OF A MUCH WORSE, RIGHT SITUATION IF WE EVER GOT LIKE A CATEGORY TWO, THREE OR FIVE.
SO WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU'VE GOT TREES DOWN ALL OVER THE PLACE, AND YOU'VE GOT SUPPLIES THAT ARE AWARE IN COLUMBIA AND YOU NEED TO BRING THEM IN, HAVE YOU GOT LIKE MAJOR EQUIPMENT TO APPLE? THOSE, THOSE TREES, THE WAY WE WOULD USE A TASK FORCE CONCEPT, UH, UTILIZING PUBLIC WORKS, UH, BUFORD COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS TO MUNICIPALITIES.
UH, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT, EMS FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND THESE FOLKS SHELTER UP TOGETHER.
WHEN WE PULL ALL OF OUR MERCY RESOURCES OFF THE ROAD, WHEN THE WEATHER GETS SO BAD THAT WE HAVE TO COME OFF THE ROAD FOR SAFETY, THESE FOLKS POOL UP TOGETHER.
SO IF WE'VE GOT A, ONE OF OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES SHELTERS, AND WE'VE GOT LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE, EMS AND PUBLIC WORKS THERE, AS SOON AS THE WINDS CALM DOWN ENOUGH THAT WE CAN SAFELY PULL OUT.
THE PARKING LOT, PUBLIC WORKS IS IN THE LEAD USING A FRONT END LOADERS AND BULLDOZERS.
AND WE'LL GO TO THE FIRST TRAY AND WE'LL CUT IT AND TOWELS, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT TREE AND WE'LL CUT IT AND TELL US.
AND THEN IF WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOCATION, UH, THAT WE NEED TO DO A RESCUE, WE GET TO THAT LOCATION.
EMS TAKES CARE OF THOSE FOLKS, AND WE KEEP GOING.
AND THE GOAL IS TO GET THE ROAD TO THE HOSPITAL OPEN SO WE CAN GET THE HOSPITAL STOOD BACK UP AND TAKING PATIENTS.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE JUST START PRIORITIZING, UH, MAIN ROADS SCALING DOWN INTO SECONDARY ROADS, SCALING DOWN INTO COUNTY ROADS, AND THEN INTO PRIVATE ROADS.
AND ALL THE SUPPLIES THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT REALLY ARE INTENDED FOR YOUR EMERGENCY PERSONNEL, BECAUSE YOU WANT TO GET EVERYBODY OUT OF THE, WELL, WE WRITE THEM OUT, BUT THEN ONCE THE STORM IS OVER AND WE WANT TO GET FOLKS BACK AS QUICKLY AS WE SAFELY CAN.
AND THERE'S A KEY WORD SAFELY, JUST CAUSE THE WIND QUITS BLOWING, WE'VE GOT LAB POWER LINES DOWN ACROSS THE ROAD, OR POTENTIALLY LIVE.
WE'VE GOT TREES ACROSS THE ROAD.
WE'VE GOT FLOODED AREAS, INUNDATED AREAS THAT THE WATER HASN'T GONE DOWN, WE MAY HAVE ROADS OR CAUSEWAYS THAT ARE WASHED OUT OR DAMAGED THAT YOU CAN'T DRIVE ACROSS ALL.
THAT'S GOT TO BE ASSESSED FIRST.
AND THEN ONCE THE FOLKS START COMING HOME TO NO POWER, THE GROCERY STORES CAN'T OPERATE AND THEY NEED TO BE FED.
SO THEN WE SET UP, WHAT'S CALLED A POD, A POINT OF DISTRIBUTION.
WE NOTIFY THROUGH A, WHAT WE CALL A RESOURCE REQUEST TO A CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT TAKES PLACE.
WE GO TO STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WITH THE RECOURSE, A RE SOURCE REQUEST, AND WE ASK THEM, WE WILL STAND UP THREE PODS AND BE FOR COUNTY.
WE'VE ALREADY PICKED OUT ALL THE LOCATIONS THAT ARE GOOD FOR POD.
WE HAVE TO HAVE GOOD TRAFFIC, INFLOW AND OUTFLOW, UH, HAVE TO HAVE LARGE PARKING LOTS WHERE WE CAN LAY DOWN ALL THE PALLETS AND THEN THEY WILL PALLETIZE.
AND IT WILL ALREADY BE BEING DONE AS THE STORM IS BLOWING AND THEY WILL PALLETIZE THIS EQUIPMENT.
IT WILL BE, UM, BOTTLED WATER AND IT WILL BE, UH, MRAS, UH, YOU KNOW, NON, NON PERISHABLE FOODS.
AND THEY WILL SHIP THAT TO US AND TRACTOR TRAILER LOADS.
WE WILL MEET IT OUT ON THE INTERSTATE.
WE WILL DIRECT IT WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE TO SET UP A POD AND BUFORD COUNTY PLAN PARKS.
AND IS THE AGENCY THAT'S IN CHARGE OF ADMINISTERING THE PODS AND THEIR STAFF IS TRAINED UP TO DO IT.
AND WE CAN BRING IN OUT OF COUNTY PEOPLE TO HELP, UH, AUGMENT THAT STAFF.
AND THEN WE LAY THE CONE PATTERNS DOWN.
THIS, THIS IS THE KIND OF THING WE DO IN THE WINTERTIME.
AND THEN THE FOLKS WE'LL JUST, WE'LL ANNOUNCE THERE'LL BE A POD OPEN AT A WALMART PARKING LOT.
HOW DO YOU GET THAT WORD OUT? UH, WE'LL ANNOUNCE IT EVERY WAY.
WE'VE GOT SOCIAL MEDIA, AMFM RADIO BROADCAST, UH, PORTABLE MESSAGE BOARDS, EVERY METHOD THAT WE HAVE TO GET THE WORD OUT, WE WILL GET IT OUT AND THERE'LL BE A POT OPEN AT 7:00 AM TOMORROW MORNING AT WALMART PARKING LOT ON HIGHWAY ONE 70 AND YOU'LL COME DRIVE IT IN LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL DIRECT YOU INTO MULTI-LANE.
YOU PULL UP PILES AND, UH, POSSIBLY NATIONAL GUARD OR OTHER PERSONNEL THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO THE POD.
THEY WILL, UH, POP YOUR TRUCK.
THEY'LL PUT A CASE OF WATER IN, THEY'LL PUT A CASE MRAS IN.
IF WE'RE ISSUING TARPS, WE'LL PUT A BLUE TARP IN THERE, CAUSE DRUNK YOU'RE ON YOUR WAY.
DURING MATTHEW, WE HAD THE PODS, UH, STOOD UP DURING MATTHEW FOR SIX DAYS.
AND AS THAT FIRST TRAILER TRACTOR TRAILER
[00:10:01]
IS BEING EXHAUSTED.THE NEXT TRAILERS ARE ALREADY IN THE PIPELINE TO COME REPLACE IT.
WE DON'T DO THE PODS AT NIGHT.
UH, THE RESPONSE WOULDN'T BE THERE.
SO DURING THE NIGHT THE TRACTOR TRAILERS WOULD COME IN AND WE'LL GET THEM SET UP FOR THE NEXT MORNING.
WE'LL DO THAT FOR AS LONG AS WE NEED, YOU GUYS KNOW YOUR LOGISTICS.
UH, I REMEMBER SEEING YOUR GROUP OUT THERE AT THE BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL WHEN I GOT MY COVID SHOT, UH, ON DAY ONE WHEN THEY HAD A DRIVE THROUGH.
AND THAT WAS, UH, AMAZING TO SEE THE, YOU KNOW, HOW EVERYTHING JUST KIND OF MESHED TOGETHER.
AND I IMAGINE YOU'RE DRAWING ON YOUR EXPERIENCE FROM EMERGENCIES.
DISTRIBUTION POINT WAS, WAS A POD NOT GIVING FOOD, GIVING VACCINES.
AND WE SET THOSE UP SEVERAL PLACES AROUND THE COUNTY, UH, DURING THE HEIGHT OF THAT EFFORT, UNTIL WE GOT TO A POINT WHERE WE COULD DO THEM INSIDE, UH, AND, AND MEET THE NEED AND, AND BACKS WITH THE HOSPITALS, MAKING THOSE DETERMINATIONS.
BUT AS LONG AS WE WERE DOING THE PARKING LOTS, YOU WERE SEEING A POD, BUT INSTEAD OF MRDS WATER, WE WERE GIVING OUT VACCINATIONS AND IT'S A GOOD DRILL FOR MY FOLKS.
WE GOT TO DO IT REAL TIME AND SEE IF THERE ARE ANY GLITCHES AND, AND DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THAT WE WEREN'T REALLY USED TO.
UM, LIKE BUFORD HAS A FOOTBALL FIELD, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD NEVER USED IT.
AND, UH, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY TIGHT GETTING IN THERE, BUT IT WORKED PERFECTLY FOR THAT SCENARIO.
AND SO IF WE HAD TO DO ONE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, WE NOW KNOW THE PLAN, THE TRAFFIC PLAN AND EVERYTHING TO GET FOLKS IN AND OUT OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, IF WE HAD TO SET UP A POD THERE, YEAH.
IS COVID SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO PLAY INTO YOUR 2021 HURRICANE SEASON AT ALL, OR IS THAT BEHIND THIS COVID IS GOING TO PLAY INTO OUR 2025 SEASONS REALLY? AND BEYOND, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE JUST LIKE ANYTHING ELSE.
IT'S NOW HERE WITH US TO STAY AND WE JUST HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.
UH, APPROPRIATELY, YOU KNOW, IN YEARS PAST WE HAD POLIO IN YEARS PAST, WE HAD INFLUENZA PANDEMICS.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR HISTORY AND THIS IS JUST THE NEWEST BREED OF A, OF A DISEASE, AND WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO, IT'S NOT GOING TO GO AWAY.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ERADICATED.
AND SO NOW WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO ADJUST ACCORDINGLY.
DOES EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALLY HAVE A, A STANCE THAT TAKES ON WHETHER PEOPLE SHOULD GET THE COVID VACCINE OR NOT? THAT'S AN INDIVIDUAL DECISION.
UH, WE DO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO GET THE VACCINES BECAUSE THE SCIENCE IS PROVING THAT IT'S, THAT IT, IT REDUCES THE IMPACT.
DOESN'T IT DOESN'T MAKE YOU IMMUNE, BUT THE FLU VACCINE DOESN'T MAKE YOU IMMUNE AND IT JUST REDUCES THE IMPACT.
SO WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO GET THE VACCINE.
AND I THINK THE STATISTICS ARE BEARING THAT OUT.
I MEAN, I CAN'T EVEN, UNLESS I'M SEARCHING DEEP ON THE WEB, I CAN'T EVEN FIND STATISTICS ANYMORE.
I GET ONE EVERY DAY FROM D HECK.
UM, FROM THERE FOR THEIR NUMBERS ARE OUR ACTIVE REPORTED CASES TODAY, NEW CASES WAS, I THINK IT WAS 5, 5, 2 DAYS AGO.
AND THOSE ARE DOWN FROM THE HUNDRED AND 112.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS ARE COMING AND IT'S GETTING WARM.
WE'RE BACK OUTSIDE AGAIN, LEFT, YOU KNOW, LEFT, CLOSED ENVIRONMENTS, THAT SORT OF THING.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING, BUT I JUST DO BELIEVE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE WITH US FOR THE LONG TIME AND WE PLAN IT WELL, THANK YOU, COLONEL NEIL BAXLEY, WHO IS THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COMMANDER FOR BUFORD COUNTY AND COMING UP NEXT, WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING TO A REPRESENTATIVE OF DOMINION ENERGY TO FIND OUT WHAT THE ELECTRIC COMPANY IS DOING IN CASE OF A STORM STAY WITH WHEN THE WAVES SWELL, THE WIND BLOWS AND RAIN STARTS TO FLOOR.
YOU'LL ASK YOURSELF HOW PREPARED OR UNPREPARED ARE YOU? DID YOU BOARD YOUR WINDOWS PROTECT YOUR HOME SECURE, LOOSE OBJECTS SO THEY WON'T BLOW AWAY, BRING LARGE ITEMS IN AND LOW ITEMS UP.
IF YOU'RE PROPERLY PREPARED, IT WILL HELP IN A BIG WAY.
DOES YOUR FAMILY HAVE A PLAN? DO THEY KNOW WHAT TO DO? IS YOUR EMERGENCY KIT PACKED, WAITING BY THE DOOR FOR YOU? JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT ON THE COAST.
HEAVY WINDS AND FLOODING CAN WASH THINGS AWAY.
WHEN A HURRICANE IS NEAR, YOU NEED TO STAY SAFE, TURN ON THE RADIO, WAIT FOR UPDATES.
SO GRAB YOUR BAG AND GO, GO GO.
NOW IF YOU'RE HOME AND THE HEAVY WIND BLOWS, GET AWAY FROM THE WINDOWS, WATCH OUT FOR FLOODING AND PROTECT YOURSELF.
YOU MAY BE WITHOUT POWER FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, BUT YOUR EMERGENCY KITS SHOULD HELP YOU TO STAY.
ONCE THE STORM HAS GONE AND IT'S SAFE TO GO HOME, BE CAUTIOUS OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
IF WATER'S IN YOUR PATH, YOU HAVE TO TURN BACK DANGEROUS, ELECTRICITY AND THINGS YOU CAN'T SEE CAN HURT YOU VERY BADLY.
SO BEFORE THE WAVES SWELL, THE WIND BLOWS AND RAIN STARTS TO POUR, GET PREPARED, MAKE A PLAN AND PROTECT YOURSELF EACH
[00:15:01]
AND EVERY WAY AMERICA'S PREPARE A THUN.TAKE PART, PREPARE, GET STARTED TODAY, GO TO READY.GOV/PREPARE.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HURRICANE AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PREPAREDNESS, PARTICULARLY DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR.
AND, UH, JOINING ME NOW, OF COURSE, ONE OF THE BIG CONCERNS PEOPLE HAVE IS, IS ELECTRICITY GOING TO STAY ON? AND WHAT IS THE POWER COMPANY DOING TO KEEP SERVICE GOING? AND WE'VE GOT A PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST, PAUL FISHER FROM DOMINION ENERGY JOINING US.
THANKS FOR COMING ON COASTLINE.
UH, WE HAD SPOKEN TO COLONEL NEIL BAXLEY, THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UH, MANAGEMENT, UH, UH, PREPAREDNESS INDIVIDUAL FOR BUFORD COUNTY.
AND, UM, HE WAS TELLING US, UH, OF COURSE ONE OF THE BIG CONCERNS IS IN A STORM KEEPING POWER UP OR KEEPING, UH, RESTORING POWER IF IT'S GONE DOWN.
AND, UH, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT, UH, SEE, AND I'M SORRY, DOMINION IS DOING, UH, TO FURTHER THAT.
SO IN TERMS OF STORM AND PREPAREDNESS, IT'S REALLY NOT, UH, FOR DOMINION ENERGY.
IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE DAYS OR THE WEEKS AHEAD OF A STORM, YOU KNOW, ONCE THAT STORM IS FORECAST AND, AND, AND, AND ONCE WE SEE IT SORT OF HEADING TOWARD THE COASTLINE, WHAT IT'S REALLY ABOUT IS THE WORK WE DO YEAR ROUND, UH, TO PREPARE OUR SYSTEM TO REALLY, UH, FOCUS ON REALLY OUR PRIORITIES, WHICH ARE SAFETY.
UH, THE SAFETY OF OUR SYSTEM IS PARAMOUNT.
THAT'S THE SAFETY OF OUR EMPLOYEES, AS WELL AS THE SAFETY OF OUR CUSTOMERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
UH, THE SECOND THING IS THE RELIABILITY AND THE RESILIENCY OF OUR SYSTEM.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE TOUCHING ON, UH, WITH, UH, COLONEL BAXLEY, A MOMENT AGO, THE RELIABILITY, MAKING SURE THAT, UH, WE CAN, UH, MINIMIZE, UH, HOW OFTEN, UH, THE LIGHTS GO OUT.
UH, BUT THE RESILIENCY IS ABOUT HOW QUICKLY WE CAN GET THOSE LIGHTS BACK ON.
UH, SO WE'RE MAKING INVESTMENTS IN INFRASTRUCTURE REALLY YEAR ROUND, UH, TO TAKE, UH, ENHANCEMENTS ALL ACROSS OUR SYSTEMS. SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE WOODEN POLES THAT MIGHT BE REPLACED WITH STEEL POLES AND NEW SPANS OF LINE, HIGHER, STRONGER RATING AGAINST WIND.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT A VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ALL ACROSS OUR STATE.
THAT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT IS CRITICAL TO SAFEGUARDING OUR OVERHEAD POWER LINES AGAINST THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR POWER OUTAGES.
THAT'S A FANCY WORD FOR TREE TRIMMING.
WELL, YOU KNOW, WE CAN W WE CAN CALL IT TREE TRIMMING.
WE CAN CALL IT A VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, BUT IT'S ABOUT CLEARING THOSE LINES, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE REQUIRED CLEARANCES THAT ARE SAFE, UH, TO RELIABLY OPERATE OUR SYSTEM AND DELIVER THAT ENERGY TO OUR CUSTOMERS, UH, YOU KNOW, YEAR ROUND 24 7, THEY NEEDED THE MOST, THERE SEEMS TO BE A PERCEPTION AMONGST SOME OF THE, UH, OLDER SECTIONS OF BUFORD THAT MAYBE THE TREE TRIMMING HAS GOTTEN, OR THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT HAS GOTTEN A LITTLE AGGRESSIVE.
UH, HAS THERE BEEN ANY CHANGE IN HOW YOU DO, UH, NO CHANGE.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE COMPANY, UH, APPROXIMATELY 14 YEARS.
AND, UH, TH THE REALITY IS OUR SPECIFICATIONS FOR HOW WE TRIM HAVE NOT CHANGED.
UH, WE TRIM TO ANTI A 300 STANDARDS CERTIFIED BY THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF ARBORICULTURE.
WE HAVE CERTIFIED ARBORISTS ENFORCERS ON STAFF WHO SUPERVISE THIS WORK.
UH, THIS IS SIMPLY ABOUT SAFETY.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES THE AESTHETICS, PARTICULARLY RIGHT AFTER, UH, THOSE CREWS MOVE THROUGH AN AREA AND WE TRIM ON A FIVE-YEAR CYCLE TO ENSURE THAT RELIABILITY AND THAT RESILIENCY OF OUR SYSTEM, AS WELL AS ITS SAFETY.
UH, SOMETIMES THE AESTHETICS ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE DIFFERENT.
UH, BUT THOSE CANOPIES TYPICALLY RETURN, WHICH IS WHY WE RETURNED, UH, IN ANOTHER FIVE YEARS, UH, TO KEEP THOSE LINES CLEAR AND SAFE.
YOU TALKED ABOUT THE STEEL POLES THAT ARE BEING INSTALLED.
AND AS YOU HEAD ON OUT DOWN HIGHWAY 21 AND HEADING UP TOWARDS CHARLESTON, THERE'S NOW AN IMPRESSIVE ARRAY OF STEEL POLES THAT, UH, UM, WHAT, UH, IS YOUR FEEL ABOUT HOW RELIABLE THAT WILL MAKE THE INFRASTRUCTURE HERE IN BUFORD? THAT IS 100% ABOUT HARDENING OUR SYSTEM.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DOING, NOT JUST IN BUFORD, BUT REALLY ALL ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK OUT PORT ROYAL SOUND AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL, AND IT CAN BE SERENE.
IT CAN ALSO LOOK VERY DIFFERENT WHEN THE STORM'S COMING.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS, IS STRONG, THAT IT CAN RESIST THOSE HIGHER WINDS.
AND WE'RE SEEING WE'RE SEEING MORE FREQUENT STORMS, AND WE'RE SEEING ACTUALLY A STRONGER STORMS, UH, OVER THE LAST SO MANY YEARS.
SO THIS IS REALLY ABOUT AN INVESTMENT IN THE 60 PLUS THOUSAND CUSTOMERS WE SERVE AND BEAVER COUNTY, IT'S AN INVESTMENT IN BUFORD COUNTY, AND IT'S AN INVESTMENT IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IT TAKES TO KEEP THOSE LIGHTS ON A REALLY AROUND THE CLOCK.
HAVE YOU TRACKED YOUR UPTIME, UM, IN, IN THE LOW COUNTRY, AND WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO SAY DEFINITIVELY, UH, MAYBE THREE OR FOUR YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, SEE
[00:20:01]
WE PUT IN THESE POLLS AND NOW INSTEAD OF A 99% UPTIME, WE'VE GOT A 99.9% OF THE TIME.AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT AND, AND WE LOOK AT IT CONSTANTLY.
SO IF YOU LOOK, IF YOU THINK BACK TO, WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT OUR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, SAFEGUARDING THOSE LINES FROM TREES AND TREE LIMBS, UH, WE HAVE AN ANNUAL, WE HAVE AN INDEX, UH, THAT UTILITY COMPANIES USE THAT IS THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF MINUTES.
A CUSTOMER IS OUT ACROSS A YEAR, UH, AND OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS OR SO, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THAT NUMBER DECLINE AND IT'S CONTINUING TO DECLINE.
SO WE'VE SHAVED ABOUT 50 MINUTES OFF OF THAT ANNUAL NUMBER OF THE ANNUAL NUMBER.
NOW ON AVERAGE FOR, UH, THE TIME, THE DURATION OF AN OUTAGE THAT CUSTOMERS WILL EXPERIENCE OVER A YEAR ON AVERAGE, IT'S ABOUT 90 MINUTES.
UM, AND THAT'S ACROSS THE ENTIRE NOW, ARE THERE SOME TIMES WHERE CUSTOMERS MAY HAVE BEEN OUT LONGER AND SOMETIMES WHEN THEY'RE OUT LESS? YES.
AGAIN, IT'S AN AVERAGE, BUT IT'S A GREAT INDICATOR.
UH, AND IT IS A GREAT TESTAMENT TO HOW THESE ENHANCEMENTS ACROSS OUR SYSTEM, THE STRENGTHENING AND HARDENING OF THE GRID, AS WELL AS SAFEGUARDING OF OUR LINES WITH VEGETATION MANAGEMENT IS REALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE AND IT'S PAYING OFF WHEN CUSTOMERS COME HOME, THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO TURN, UH, THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO TURN THAT SWITCH AND, UH, AND HAVE, AND HAVE THAT SAFE, RELIABLE POWER.
AND THAT'S WHAT, WHAT WAS YOUR, UM, EXPERIENCE AS FAR AS, UH, HOW RELIABLE YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE WAS LIKE TWO YEARS AGO, FOR EXAMPLE, OR THE YEAR THAT WE HAD MATTHEW COME, WHEN IT JUST WENT RIGHT UP THE COAST.
AND THEN THE YEAR AFTER, WHEN WE HAD SO MUCH RAIN THAT CAME IN AS WITH ONE OF THOSE HURRICANES, UM, UH, AS FAR AS DAYS THAT PEOPLE WERE WITHOUT SERVICE, WHAT WAS YOUR, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THERE THAT EVERY STORM IS DIFFERENT.
EVERY STORM IS A UNIQUE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THAT'S MATTHEW OR, YOU KNOW, A FLOODING EVENT OR, OR
IT'S GOING TO, IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY DRIVEN, UH, BY THE, THE, THE DIRECTION OF THAT STORM, THE INTENSITY OF THAT STORM, UH, YOU JUST JUST A YEAR OR TWO AGO, WE HAD SOME STORMS MOVE ACROSS THE COAST.
AND REALLY, IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF FEW MILES THAT WOULD HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UM, A REAL MULTI-DAY, UH, OUTAGE EVENT FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
AND REALLY JUST SOME SCATTERED OUTAGES THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, HAVE RESTORED RELATIVELY QUICKLY, UH, YOU KNOW, WITHIN 24 HOURS.
SO IT'S REALLY ALL ABOUT THE INTENSITY, THE DIRECTION, UH, THE SIZE OF THE STORM, EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT.
UM, BUT WHAT WE FIND IS, AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, THE SYSTEM ENHANCEMENTS, THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, UH, THOSE NUMBERS IN TERMS OF THE DURATIONS, AS WELL AS THE RESILIENCY, WHICH IS HOW QUICKLY WE CAN GET THAT POWER BACK ON.
UM, AND THOSE NUMBERS ARE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
YOU KNOW, UH, THE, THE VEGETATION THAT'S OUT THERE ALONG THE RIGHT OF WAYS THAT CAN SOMETIMES BLOCK ACCESS TO US, BEING ABLE TO SIMPLY GET TO WHERE WE NEED TO GET TO, TO RESTORE THAT POWER.
AND THEN YOU'VE GOT, YOU'VE GOT EVENTS THAT ARE NOT REALLY ABOUT RESTORATION, BUT THEY'RE ABOUT REBUILDING.
UH, THERE ARE ABOUT WHERE A CIRCUIT USED TO BE, AND IT'S SIMPLY GONE.
UH, MOTHER NATURE SIMPLY TOOK THAT AWAY.
AND THEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE REALLY REBUILDING THAT SYSTEM FROM THE GROUND UP.
SO WHAT WE REMIND OUR CUSTOMERS IS PREPARE FOR IN THE HURRICANE SEASON WITH THAT EMERGENCY KIT, MAKE SURE YOU'VE GOT THE BOTTLE OF WATER, THE BATTERY POWERED RADIO, THE FLASHLIGHTS, THE EXTRA BATTERIES, PRESCRIPTIONS, PET CARE, MAKE SURE YOU'VE GOT EVERYTHING SORT OF READY TO GO, YOU KNOW, YOUR EVACUATION ZONE, IF THAT'S WHAT'S REQUESTED, BUT PREPARE FOR A MULTI-DAY EVENT WHEN A SIGNIFICANT STORM IS IN THE FORECAST.
WELL, IF YOU CAN SAY THAT THERE'S ANYTHING EXCITING ABOUT A HURRICANE.
I THINK THE ONE THING YOU CAN SAY IS IT'S ALWAYS EXCITING TO SEE THE CARAVAN OF POWER TRUCKS THAT ARE COMING IN FROM ALL OVER TO AID IN AN AREA THAT'S BEEN, UH, HEAVILY DAMAGED.
HOW DOES THAT ALL WORK? DO YOU GUYS HAVE A CONTRACT WITHOUT EXTERNAL COMPANIES? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND, YOU KNOW, AS, AS PART OF DOMINION ENERGY, UH, WE HAVE A GREATER ARRAY OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO US.
UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE IT'S A COMPANY THAT OPERATES ACROSS 16 STATES.
UM, SO WE'RE CERTAINLY ABLE TO SHARE THOSE RESOURCES WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION, BUT BEYOND THAT, UH, DOMINION ENERGY, SOUTH CAROLINA IS PART OF THE SOUTH EASTERN ELECTRIC EXCHANGE.
AND THAT IS A MUTUAL ASSISTANCE ORGANIZATION THAT ALLOWS UTILITIES REALLY FROM THE GULF AND ALL UP ALONG, UH, THE, THE ATLANTIC COAST AND EVEN UP A LITTLE BIT INTO THE NORTHEASTERN, UH, TERRITORY TO SHARE RESOURCES.
UH, SO, UH, BEING A PART OF THAT ORGANIZATION ALLOWS US TO, IN OUR PLANNING, UH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DAILY PHONE CALLS SOMETIMES MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY, UH, WHERE OUR OPERATIONS TEAM ARE, ARE ON THE PHONE AND REALLY TALKING TO OTHER COMPANIES THAT ARE WATCHING THE STORM, LOOKING AT WHERE IT'S IMPACTING AND WHERE IT'S NOT IMPACTING, AND BEING ABLE TO SHIFT THOSE RESOURCES, UH, FROM ONE UTILITY COMPANY TO ANOTHER.
AND WE CAN DO THAT WITH OUR, OUR OWN COMPANY CREWS, AS WELL AS CONTRACTORS AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHEN A STORM HITS AND VARIOUS AREAS ARE OUT, DO YOU HAVE
[00:25:01]
A PRIORITY SYSTEM IN PLACE OF WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO SEND YOUR TEAMS? WHAT NEIGHBORHOODS ARE GOING TO GET SERVICE? WE GET THAT QUESTION A LOT, AND IT REALLY, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GOING TO CERTAINLY START FROM THE PLACE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO RESTORE THE LARGEST NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS FIRST.AND A LOT OF TIMES, THAT'S ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE POINT OF GENERATION, AND WE'RE GOING TO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ABLE TO TRANSMIT THAT BULK POWER TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO GET INTO THE COMMUNITIES WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON THOSE REPAIRS FIRST, THEN WE'RE GOING TO, THEN WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER THE COMMUNITY DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, UH, THOSE LINES THAT WE SEE ALL AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND, AND THE TOWNS AND WHERE WE LIVE.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON THAT NEXT.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GET DOWN TO THE INDIVIDUAL, UH, STREET LEVEL, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS, MAYBE THAT LINE THAT GOES FROM A POLE TO THE METER CAN ON SOMEONE'S HOME, IT'S BEEN TORN DOWN BY A TREE OR A TREE LIMB, THEN THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER CRITICAL SERVICES ARE IDENTIFIED WITHIN OUR SYSTEM.
SO WE WORK VERY CLOSELY TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS ARE RESTORED FIRST, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE A WATER AND SEWER, UH, FIRST RESPONDERS, MEDICAL FACILITIES, ALL THE THINGS YOU WOULD EXPECT, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING, UH, TO THOSE FIRST, BUT OF COURSE, WE'VE GOT TO GET THE POWER FROM THE POINT OF GENERATION, UH, GET THAT VOLT POWER INTO THE COMMUNITIES AND THEN, AND THEN DISTRIBUTED INTO THE HOMES AND BUSINESSES.
SO WE'LL KIND OF WORK, UH, TO GET THE MOST FOLKS ON FIRST.
AND THAT'S WHY SOMETIMES CUSTOMERS WILL SAY, PAUL, I HAVEN'T SEEN A TRUCK IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN THE POWER'S BEEN OUT FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS, OR MAYBE IT'S, IT'S BEEN A DAY IN IT LIKE A MAJOR STORM EVENT.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE WHILE YOU MAY NOT SEE THEM OUT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, REMEMBER THEY'RE OUT THERE WORKING TO GET THE POWER TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD FIRST, AND THEN THE WORK ON THOSE SPECIFIC PARTS OF OUR SYSTEM.
UH, ONCE WE CAN GET THE POWER DELIVERED TO THE COMMITTEE, I'M ALWAYS CURIOUS IF I HAVE A POWER OUTAGE AND I CALL DOMINION.
YOU'VE GOT THIS AUTOMATED RESPONSE UNIT, AND IT WILL SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AWARE THAT THERE'S AN OUTAGE IN YOUR AREA AND WE EXPECT POWER TO BE RESTORED IN 45 MINUTES.
AND I'M FLABBERGASTED HOW CLOSE YOU HIT.
WELL, TECHNOLOGY IS AN AMAZING THING, RIGHT? AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GREAT POINT.
NUMBER ONE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE CUSTOMERS REMEMBER, YOU'VE GOT TO REPORT YOUR OUTAGE.
THERE IS THIS MYTH SOMETIMES THAT, WELL, THEY KNOW MY POWER'S OUT.
I'M SURE IT'LL GET TO US EVENTUALLY.
AND THE ANSWER TO THAT IS NOT ALWAYS, UM, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE GET DOWN TO THOSE INDIVIDUAL LEVELS, WHERE THERE COULD BE DAMAGED TO A SERVICE LINE, RIGHT.
TO A HOME, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS REPORT YOUR OUTAGE JUST BECAUSE YOUR NEIGHBOR REPORTED.
IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULDN'T REPORT THE OUTAGE AT YOUR HOME TO THE FASTEST AND QUICKEST WAY TO DO THAT IS THE DOMINION ENERGY APP.
AND YOU SHOULD GO AHEAD AND DOWNLOAD THAT NOW, BEFORE THE STORM.
UM, SO TH TH TH THAT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER.
THE OTHER THING IS THESE ESTIMATED TIMES OF RESTORATION ARE SIMPLY THAT THEY, THEIR ESTIMATES, UH, HOWEVER, UH, IT'S A PRETTY SOPHISTICATED SYSTEM THAT LOOKS AT HISTORICAL DATA FOR THE TYPE OF DAMAGE OR THE TYPE OF OUTAGE THAT MAY HAVE OCCURRED.
IT'S ALSO GOING TO LOOK AT AVAILABLE RESOURCES THROUGH OUR CREW QUARTERS AND, AND OUR OPERATIONS HEADQUARTERS THAT ARE CENTRALLY LOCATED ALL ACROSS OUR SERVICE TERRITORY.
IT'S GOING TO LOOK AT THE AVAILABILITY OF TRUCKS AND CREWS, UH, WHAT EQUIPMENT IS WHERE, AND IT'S GONNA FACTOR BASED ON HISTORICAL DATA, HOW LONG THOSE OUTAGES TYPICALLY TAKE TO REPAIR, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WHAT YOU'RE PLANNING IN THE FUTURE.
PAUL FISHER, WHO IS A PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST WITH DOMINION ENERGY CAME ALL THE WAY DOWN FROM CHARLESTON TO JOIN US TODAY.
WE'LL HAVE MORE RIGHT AFTER AND WE'RE TALKING EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ON THIS EDITION OF COASTLINE.
AND YOU MAY RECALL EARLIER, WE WERE TALKING WITH, UH, COLONEL BAXLEY ABOUT WHAT ALL IS INVOLVED WHEN A STORM COMES THROUGH AND TREES ARE DOWN, AND THEY'VE ACTUALLY GOT A DEPARTMENT THAT HANDLES ALL OF THAT, ALL THE LOGISTICS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN IT.
AND THEY'VE GOT A NICE SET OF EQUIPMENT TOO, AND HEADING ALL OF THAT UP IS PAM COB.
SHE'S THE DISASTER RECOVERY COORDINATOR WHO WORKS OUT AT THE PUBLIC WORKS SECTOR OUT ON THE SHANKLIN ROAD, PAM.
GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS, A LOT OF THINGS HAVE TAKEN PLACE SINCE YOU AND I LAST
[00:30:01]
SPOKE.I THINK WE'VE HAD A HURRICANE.
WE'VE HAD A PANDEMIC AND SEVERAL HURRICANES.
SO, UM, WHAT, WHAT IS GOING ON? ARE YOU STILL RECOVERING FROM THOSE HURRICANES OF YEARS PAST? WE ARE, WE STILL, UM, ARE TRYING TO DO DOCUMENTATION, FINISH THAT OUT.
THE PROCESS IS JUST LONG WHEN THEY SAY LONG-TERM RECOVERY, THEY ARE NOT KIDDING.
EVEN FOR HURRICANE MATTHEW, ALTHOUGH IT WAS A LOW CATEGORY, ONE, THERE'S A LOT OF DOCUMENTATION AND PAPERWORK AND MOVING PARTS, AND YOU HAVE TO COUNT FOR THAT.
SO, AND THEN FEMA HAS CHANGED OVER TO DIFFERENT PERSONNEL.
SO EVERYBODY WANTS IT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY, EVERY SINGLE STORM.
SO YES, WE STILL HAVE OUTSTANDING, UH, UH, CLOSE OUT PROJECTS.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET DONE THE COMPONENTS REALLY ABOUT, UH, WHAT YOU DO.
THERE'S THE, THE PROJECT ITSELF TO, YOU KNOW, REBUILD, RECOVER, REPLACE, AND THEN THERE'S THE RECOVERING THE MONEY YOU'VE PUT OUT.
UH, AND YOU GET SOME OF THAT MONEY BACK FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FEMA, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO THE PAPERWORK PIECE OF IT TAKES A LONG TIME, THOSE TWO COMPONENTS, UH, WHAT, UH, WERE SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PROJECTS THAT YOU ENCOUNTERED WITH THE LAST COUPLE OF HURRICANES, MATTHEW, AND THEN THE BIG WATER LOGGED ONE THAT WE HAD.
WE'VE HAD, WE'VE DONE A LITTLE BIT OF THROUGH THE LAST SEVERAL.
THERE'S BEEN A STORM EVERY SINGLE YEAR OR SOME TYPE OF EVENT EVERY SINGLE YEAR SINCE HURRICANE MATTHEW.
SO ALONG WITH THAT BECOMES PAPERWORK, UM, WHICH IS SOME ARE SMALL, UM, WHICH I CAN SAY EVERY SINGLE YEAR, FEMA PUTS DOWN A DIFFERENT POLICY PROCEDURES.
SO IT'S, YOU'VE GOTTA BE FLEXIBLE TO HANDLE ALL OF THOSE MATTHEW OF COURSE, IS THE MEMORABLE ONE FOR EVERYONE AND B FOR COUNTY, BECAUSE PREVIOUS TO THAT, WE HADN'T HAD ANYTHING.
UM, I FEEL LIKE WE HANDLED IT VERY, VERY WELL FOR WHAT IT WAS SINCE THE COUNTY HAD NOT ENCOUNTERED SOMETHING, A LOT OF MOVING PARTS, A LOT OF, UM, UNKNOWNS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED IT BEFORE.
BUT SINCE THEN, I FEEL LIKE WE ARE A VERY WELL-OILED MACHINE.
WE ARE READY TO GO RESPONSE AND, UM, INITIAL RECOVERY, JUST RECOVERY TAKES A LONG TIME.
AND THERE'S DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF THAT.
YOU HAVE ECONOMIC RECOVERY, YOU HAVE THE INITIAL, LIKE YOU SAID, PUTTING BACK A BUILDING OR A ROAD.
UM, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE, FROM A GOVERNMENT STANDPOINT, YOU HAVE THE FINANCIAL RECOVERY OF WHAT YOU SPENT AND TRYING TO RECRUIT COST.
IS FEMA PRETTY REASONABLE AND EASY TO WORK WITH? YES AND NO.
HOW YOU DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE IS SHORTHANDED GOVERNMENT WISE, PEOPLE CHANGE POSITIONS.
YOU DEAL WITH NEW POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, EVERY SINGLE EVENT.
THEY'RE ALSO TRYING TO MAKE THINGS MORE STREAMLINED AND BETTER.
SO ALONG THAT COMES NEW TERMS AND REQUIREMENTS.
UM, SO SOMETIMES THAT CAN BE, UM, TEDIOUS AND A LOT OF MAN HOURS TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER THOSE PACKAGES.
SO THEY GO THROUGH FASTER AND THEY'VE TRIED TO MAKE IT.
SO THESE PROJECTS AREN'T LINGERING FOR LONG, LONG YEARS AND PERIODS OF TIME THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO GET THEM DONE WITHIN A SIX MONTH PERIOD.
NOW, ACTUALLY LAST YEAR, WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE AN ACTIVE HURRICANE SEASON.
WE KIND OF DODGED THE BULLET, CORRECT.
BUT YOU WERE PRETTY MUCH INVOLVED IN HURRICANE.
COVID TELL US ABOUT WHAT THE, YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS DONE WITH THE PANDEMICS.
OBVIOUSLY I'M RECOVERY RELATED, BUT TOOK A, AN ACTIVE APPROACH.
UM, OUR, UH, ADMINISTRATOR AT THAT POINT WAS PUT TOGETHER A REOPENING TEAM.
SO I WAS PART OF THAT, UM, AND HELPED PASS OUT PPE FOR OUR COUNTY DEPARTMENTS.
UM, ALSO MAKING SURE EVERYBODY IS PASSING ALONG THAT INFORMATION OF WHAT, WHAT EVERY DEPARTMENT WOULD NEED, FEMA GUIDANCE THAT'S COMING DOWN OR CARES, ACT INFORMATION.
UM, SO THERE'S THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE, GETTING EVERYBODY READY TO TEND TO RETURN BACK TO NORMAL.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE, WELL, WHAT DID WE SPEND? WHAT DID, WHAT DID THAT LOOK LIKE? PAINT ME A PICTURE OF WHAT YOU DID AND SUBMITTING THAT IN.
UM, CAUSE YOU GOT SOME MONEY BACK FROM THE CARES ACT.
SO WE DID, WE DID A LITTLE BIT FROM THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SIDE FOR FEMA UNDER THAT GRANT PROGRAM.
AND THEN ALSO THROUGH CARES ACT, YOU KNOW, A PANDEMIC IS SOMETHING THAT ONLY COMES AROUND MAYBE ONCE EVERY HUNDRED YEARS.
SO HAD YOU BEEN AT ALL PREPARED FOR THIS? AND IF SO, OR IF NOT, HAVE YOU LEARNED ANYTHING IF GOD FORBID WE EVER HAVE TO DO THIS AGAIN? I THINK THERE'S YES AND NO.
LIKE WE PLAN IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WORLD, DO YOU PLAN FOR ALL HAZARDS? SO A LOT ALONG THOSE LINES, IT'S JUST WHO PLAYS IN THAT RESPONSE WHO PLAYS IN THAT RECOVERY, BUT THE PIECES ARE STILL MOVING.
YOU STILL HAVE TO MANAGE PIECES, YOU STILL HAVE TO MANAGE RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL.
[00:35:01]
OF WHAT ARE YOU PAYING FOR YOUR RESOURCES, THAT KIND OF THING.SO IT'S, IT'S STILL MOVING PIECES, JUST LIKE PLAYING CHESS OR CHECKERS.
YOU, YOU HAVE TO MANAGE ALL OF IT AND THEN DOCUMENT IT.
W WE'RE IN A NICE, COMFORTABLE AIR CONDITIONED STUDIO THIS TIME, THE LAST TIME YOU AND I MET, WE WERE OUT AT YOUR OFFICE OUTSIDE AND, UH, 90 PLUS DEGREE HEAT, BUT WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE SOME OF YOUR TOYS, TELL OUR AUDIENCE THAT MAY NOT HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THAT, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU, UH, HAVE AT YOUR DISPOSAL.
SO WE HAVE A TON OF HEAVY EQUIPMENT OUT THERE, UM, TO BE ABLE HANDLE ANYTHING THAT COMES OUR WAY AS FAR AS A STORM EVENT.
AND ALSO IF WE MAX OUT OR WE'RE NOT ABLE TO, FOR THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE, CAN'T MEET SOME OF OUR NEEDS.
WE HAVE THE STATE RESOURCES, IT'S ONLY A PHONE CALL AWAY AND WE HAVE OTHER RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO US.
SO YOU'VE GOT, AND THIS IS WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WITH NEIL BAXLEY.
UM, WHEN TREES COME DOWN, YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, THE BULLDOZERS TO MOVE THEM OUT OF THE WAY YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, TONS OF CHAINSAWS AND OTHER THINGS AT YOUR DISPOSAL TO CLEAR A PATH SO THAT THE EMERGENCY VEHICLES CAN MAKE A RUN BACK IN.
AND SO ONE THING THAT'S DIFFERENT FOR, YOU TALKED ABOUT PAST STORMS AND EVERYTHING DURING HURRICANE MATTHEW, WE ACTUALLY HAVE CONTRACTORS ON STANDBY THAT CAN DID DURING HURRICANE MATTHEW MAY HAD TO ACTIVATE THOSE CONTRACTS.
UH, SO THEY HELP OUT WITH THE BULK OF THE WORK BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY IS TRYING TO GET BACK TO REGULAR JOB ORDERS THAT COME THROUGH A TASK ORDERS.
SO THEY TOOK A BUNCH OF THE BULK OF IT, BUT WE ALSO PLAN FOR INTERNAL RESPONSE LIKE WE'VE HAD TO DO FOR IRMA.
AND THUS FAR, WE HANDLED IT INTERNALLY.
SO WE HAVE BOTH OF THOSE, UM, AT OUR, AT OUR BECK AND CALL.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I EXPRESSED A CONCERN ABOUT WITH, UH, BOTH COLONEL BAXLEY AND WITH, UH, THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM DOMINION ENERGY WAS, UM, WE'RE FINDING OURSELVES IN THIS REALLY STRANGE AND CHAOTIC TIME WHERE THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF POSITIONS OPEN AND NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE TO FILL THEM.
AND THE SUPPLY CHAINS ARE REALLY BEING IMPACTED FROM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH AS FAR AS COVID IS THAT IMPACTING YOU AND YOUR DEPARTMENT AT ALL? UH, I WOULD SAY I CAN'T SPEAK FOR OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR AS FAR AS ON A DAILY BASIS.
OBVIOUSLY MATERIALS ARE CAUGHT MORE COSTLY AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT AS FAR AS AN INTERNAL PLANNING PURPOSE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE MORE PEOPLE AVAILABLE TO US.
I HAVE AN INFLUX OF PEOPLE WHEN WE ACTUALLY ACTIVATE OUR SATELLITE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER.
SO OUR OPERATION FOR PUBLIC WORKS IS SO LARGE.
WE NEED TO ACTUALLY NOT HOUSE AT THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE KIND OF LIKE A SECOND OPERATION, JUST FOR DEBRIS MANAGEMENT THAT WE MANAGE.
SO WE HAVE AN INFLUX OF PEOPLE I'M TRYING TO CROSS TRAIN EVERYONE.
SO WE, IF SOMEBODY HAS A HEART ATTACK OR SOMEBODY GETS SICK OR MATERNITY LEAVE OR GOES TO THE HOSPITAL, THERE IS SOMEBODY TO FILL IN AND KNOWS THAT POSITION HANDS DOWN.
SO WE ARE, WE ARE DEFINITELY, UM, WELL-PREPARED YEAH.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A TRUTH TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SHORT-TERM MEMORY WHEN IT COMES TO EMERGENCIES.
AND THE, LIKE UNTIL YOU MENTIONED THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN, UH, THE HUGE AMOUNT OF DEBRIS THAT HAD TO BE DISPOSED OF IN SOME MANNER OF FASHION.
UM, WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM MATTHEW AND IRMA THAT YOU ARE NOW ABLE TO APPLY TO ANY FUTURE STORMS? SO DOING KIND OF THE DOCUMENTATION PIECE AND GETTING, UM, HAVING THE CONTRACTORS THERE DURING HURRICANE MATTHEW AND THEN GOING, MOVING TOWARDS THE DOCUMENTATION SIDE, THEY REALLY PRESENTED A TON OF IT, PUT IT IN A PACKAGE, PROVIDED ALL OF THAT DOCUMENTATION FOR US, AND THEN WE'RE VERY SPOILED.
AND THEN WE MOVED OVER TO HURRICANE IRMA AND WE DID EVERYTHING INTERNALLY AND IT WAS NIGHT AND DAY, MAN.
WE NEED TO REALLY WORK ON OUR DOCUMENTATION.
WE REALLY NEED TO, UM, MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS COVERED AS FAR AS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO CLAIM TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A BETTER REIMBURSEMENT FOR US TO RECLAIM ALL OF THAT COST.
SO FROM THERE, I REALLY SAW SOME SHORTFALLS OF HOW WE ARE DOING TRAINING AND WHERE AREAS WE CAN IMPROVE UPON.
AND WE JUST REALLY HAVE EXPANDED THAT OVER THE YEARS.
AND THIS YEAR, ESPECIALLY, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF INTERNAL CHANGES THROUGH THE ORGANIZATION.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF NEW PEOPLE SWITCHING, UM, IN THE ORGANIZATION.
SO ALL THE WAY AROUND, UM, KIND OF, EVEN IF YOU WERE A SENIOR PERSON AND YOU HAVE, UM, BEEN THROUGH THIS SEVERAL TIMES, MY THOUGHT PROCESSES, YOU ARE GETTING SATURATED WITH TRAINING, WHETHER YOU WANT TO, OR NOT, BECAUSE EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE THIS YEAR.
SO, SO REALLY THAT'S WHAT YOU KIND OF DO THE OTHER NINE MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR IS YOU'RE TRAINING.
YOU'RE DOCUMENTING WRITING BOOKS.
SO, YOU KNOW, SO THERE IS A, YES, THERE
[00:40:01]
IS A BIG PIECE OF MY JOB THAT IS ALSO JUST LIKE COLONEL BACK'S LATE PREPARING AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.UM, I'M PREPARING FOR OUR RECOVERY TO HELP OUT PUBLIC WORKS, BUT ALSO IN LONG-TERM.
WHY, WHY HAVE THERE BEEN, WHY HAS THERE BEEN SUCH TURNOVER AND YOUR DEPARTMENT OR PEOPLE JUST RETIRING AND THAT WE'VE HAD, UM, JUST NEW PEOPLE COMING TO THE TABLE AND ALSO JUST PEOPLE SWITCHING DEPARTMENTS.
AND SO, UH, WE'VE HAD PEOPLE, UH, RESTRUCTURING AS FAR AS PROMOTIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, EVEN UPPER LEVEL MANAGEMENT.
WHO'VE NEVER BEEN A PART OF OUR HURRICANE SEASON BEFORE.
AND SO THEY'RE LEARNING ON THE FLY.
SO IT'S NOT JUST LOCAL LEVEL GUYS GOING OUT AND DOING DEBRIS IT'S ACROSS THE BOARD TRYING TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY COUNCIL MEMBERS, OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, UM, OUR NEW, UM, ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS, MAKING SURE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AND PLANS ARE, UH, MOVING FROM.
ALL RIGHT, PAM COBB, WHO IS THE DISASTER RECOVERY COORDINATOR FOR BUFORD COUNTY.
WE REALLY HOPE WE DON'T HAVE TO EMPLOY YOU, BUT WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU'RE THERE TO HELP IN TIMES OF EMERGENCIES.
AND WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING TO OUR NEW COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR BUFORD COUNTY, OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER CHRIS OAK HEART, HE'LL BE UP NEXT WELL, ON THIS LAST SEGMENT OF COASTLINE, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO CHRIS.
HE IS THE NEW BUFORD COUNTY PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, AND HE COMES FROM A DISTINGUISHED BACKGROUND HAVING SERVED IN THE SIMILAR CAPACITY FOR WEST POINT, THE NAVY, THE ARMY ACADEMY, THE MILITARY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT, HOW EXCITING THAT MUST HAVE BEEN.
YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS AT WEST POINT, UH, COMMUNICATING ABOUT ALL THE GREAT THINGS THE CADETS ARE DOING.
UH, OF COURSE WE'D BE ARMY OR NAVY TWO YEARS IN A ROW, WHICH WAS GREAT.
SO I'M SURE MANY OF THE MARINES AND NAVY
UM, THOSE LAST YEAR, THE ARMY NAVY GAME WAS ACTUALLY PLAYED AT WEST POINT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE WORLD WAR II.
UM, AND THAT WAS BECAUSE OF COVID.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT AND THEN THE MIDSHIPMAN CAME UP FROM ANNAPOLIS AND IT WAS REALLY SURREAL.
WELL, WHAT BRINGS YOU DOWN TO THE LOW COUNTRY OF ALL PLACES? BEACH, OF COURSE, THE BEACH.
WE WANT TO BE CLOSE TO FAMILY, UM, AND BRING THE FAMILY DOWN HERE AND THEN MY PARENTS AND IN-LAWS, AND EVERYBODY LIVED WITHIN A NICE, NICE BIG CIRCLE, UM, A COUPLE OF HOURS AWAY IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
WHILE WE'RE, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE.
WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DON'T FIND UP AT WEST POINT THAT YOU DO FIND DOWN HERE ARE HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE LAST 45 MINUTES OR SO.
UH, ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT'S ALWAYS CRUCIAL IN A HURRICANE AND, UM, ANY TYPE OF AN EMERGENCY IS COMMUNICATING THAT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND GETTING THE WORD OUT.
UH, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT ALL THIS AND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE EMPLOYING AND HOW YOU'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY SATISFIED WITH THE CHAIN AND LINE OF COMMUNICATION.
I THINK IN THIS DAY AND AGE, YOU ALMOST HAVE TOO MANY AVENUES TO GET YOUR INFORMATION FROM.
UM, SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I LIKE TO REMIND PEOPLE.
ONE IS LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ON THE GROUND PROBABLY HAS THE BEST INFORMATION TO HELP YOU IN THAT GENERAL AREA BECAUSE THEY'RE LIVING IT WITH YOU ON A DAILY BASIS.
UM, THE NEXT THING IS THE LOCAL, THE MORE LOCAL YOU GET, THE MORE PERTAINS TO YOU.
SO WATCHING THE WEATHER CHANNEL AND WATCHING NBC NEWS OR FOX NEWS IS GREAT, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO AN EMERGENCY SITUATION TO GET THE UP-TO-DATE MOST ACCURATE INFORMATION, YOU WANT TO TUNE INTO YOUR LOCAL NEWS SOURCES, UM, AND THAT INCLUDES YOUR COUNTY CHANNEL AND THEN YOUR NORMAL, LOCAL BROADCAST CHANNELS THAT ARE GIVING YOU THE LATEST, UM, INFORMATION THAT YOU POSSIBLY CAN.
YEAH, IT'S ALWAYS A KEY COMPONENT AND EVENT THAT WHENEVER WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, UH, AN ESCALATION IN THE OPCON STATUS THAT, UH, THEY START BRINGING PEOPLE INTO THE, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER.
AND, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE TOLD YOU YET, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.
SO I BRING A BROWN BAG LUNCH WITH YOU CAUSE YOU'LL PROBABLY SPEND MANY HOURS.
AND, UH, YOU'LL BE ON THE COUNTY CHANNEL TELLING EVERYBODY WHAT THE GOVERNOR IS SAYING, WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND EVACUATE
[00:45:01]
AND YOU KNOW, SO, UM, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT ALL THAT? UM, SO AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING AT THE LATEST INFORMATION.IT'S AN IMPORTANT YOUR LOCAL LEADERS INFORMING YOU ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, WHAT ARE THE SAFEST ROUTES? THOSE ROUTES ARE CLOSED RIGHT NOW, WHAT AREAS TO AVOID BECAUSE OF ACCIDENTS OR BACKED UP TRAFFIC, UH, DIRECTING YOU IN THE, IN THE RIGHT THE RIGHT RIGHT WAY.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING THEY'RE GOING TO DO IS THEY'RE GOING TO REMIND YOU AND MAKE SURE YOU BRING THAT IMPORTANT STUFF WITH YOU, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE RUNNING THOSE MESSAGES, RIGHT.
DID, DID YOU NOT FORGET YOUR DOG, YOUR CAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR BUNNY RABBITS, UM, ARE THEY WITH YOU IN THE CAR OR DID YOU FORGET ABOUT THEM? UM, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER THING THAT THEY'RE GONNA REMIND YOU ABOUT IS, ESPECIALLY IN THIS DAY AND AGE, WHERE ARE YOUR BATTERY CHARGERS? UM, NOT JUST YOUR PHONE CHARGER, BUT YOU PROBABLY NEED TO HAVE A BRICK.
UH, ONE OF THOSE ENERGY BRICKS ARE GREAT.
THEY CAN CHARGE MULTIPLE THINGS.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, CAR CHARGERS NOW THAT ALSO HAVE USB PORTS TO BE ABLE TO PLUG YOUR PHONE INTO.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S SOME REALLY COOL HAND CHARGERS IF YOU WANT, REALLY WANT TO GO OLD SCHOOL.
UM, SO INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE LIGHT BULB, YOU'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE CHARGING YOUR PHONE.
UH, SO THOSE ARE ALL REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR MEDIA IS ELECTRONIC.
UM, I MEAN, EVEN RIGHT DOWN TO YOUR RADIO NOW THROUGH THE INTERNET, THROUGH YOUR PHONE.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO NEED THAT IN ORDER TO CHECK ALL THE DIFFERENT, UM, APPS AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE, YEAH, I KNOW I WAS TALKING WITH SOME OF THE FOLKS BEHIND THE SCENES HERE AND THEY WERE TELLING ME ABOUT HOW THE, UH, BUFORD COUNTY RADIO CHANNEL, UH, CAN BE HEARD ON LIVE 365 AND HOW, AS YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, YOU CAN HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, PHONE ON THE, THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
UH, AND THEN JUST THROUGH BLUETOOTH, YOU CAN BE PLAYING THE COUNTY RADIO AND GETTING UPDATES.
AND OF COURSE THE NICE THING IS WE'VE GOT, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY, MAYBE 60 SOMETHING CAMERAS THAT ARE LOCATED ALL OVER THE COUNTY, THAT'LL GIVE YOU SOME INSIGHT INTO WHAT MIGHT BE THE BEST AVENUE OF EVACUATION.
SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU LEAVE IS CHECK THE COUNTY CHANNEL TO LOOK AT THE TRAFFIC CAMS. SO THEY'RE GIVING YOU REAL TIME VIDEO FROM THOSE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND YOU CAN KIND OF HELP PLAN YOUR ROUTE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE MILITARY ALWAYS SAYS, BE FLEXIBLE, CAUSE THE PLAN GOES OUT THE WINDOW.
SO IN THE SAME CASE, YOU CAN KIND OF LOOK TO SEE WHERE YOU WANT TO GO THAT WAY, EVEN THOUGH THE PLAN YOU HAVE ON PAPER SEEMED GREAT AT THE TIME, MAYBE YOU GOT TO CHANGE YOUR ROUTE BECAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT, A DOWN TREE, UM, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT, UH, STORM SURGE, DIFFERENT THINGS.
NOW YOU SAID EARLY ON BEFORE WE WENT ON CAMERA, THAT YOU WOULD LIKE MORE THAN ANYTHING TO PEOPLE TO DO SOMETHING WITH THEIR TRASH BEFORE THEY EVACUATED, WHAT WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT? SURE.
YOU THROW ALL YOUR TRASH AWAY.
AND OF COURSE THE COUNTY JUST IMPLEMENTED A NEW DECAL SYSTEM, UM, HERE FOR RESIDENTS.
UM, YOU CAN GO ONLINE, YOU SIGN UP, UH, YOU GET A STICKER DECAL AND YOU'RE GOING TO ELECTRONIC DECAL, WHICH YOU CAN PRINT OUT AND GIVE TO ALL DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY.
AND YOU TAKE THEM TO THE DIFFERENT COLLECTION POINTS.
THEY'LL COLLECTION POINTS UP TO THREE TIMES A WEEK.
AND THAT'S FOR YOUR NOT ONLY YOUR HOUSEHOLD TRASH, BUT COUCHES, UM, LAMPS, MATTRESSES, ALL OF WHICH WILL FLY AWAY DURING A STORM.
AND IF YOU'RE ILLEGAL DUMPING AND THAT YOU, LAST THING YOU WANT IS YOUR CAR TO GET HIT BY A MATTRESS THAT'S COMING ACROSS THE ROAD.
YEAH, I WAS, UH, MY WIFE WAS TELLING ME SOMEBODY, YOU HAD A COUPLE OF EMPLOYEES THAT FOUND A DUMP THAT HAD A BUNCH OF MATTRESSES IN IT.
AND THEY WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY TO GET THAT ALL CLEANED UP.
HOW NICE WAS THAT? I ACTUALLY HAVE, UM, TWO PEOPLE ON STAFF THAT THEIR JOB IS TO GO OUT AND CLEAN UP AFTER ILLEGAL DUMPING WHEN IDENTIFIED.
SO YOU CAN REPORT IT, UM, THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE APP OR THROUGH THE WEBSITE AND THEN WE'LL GO OUT AND CLEAN UP THAT SPOT AND GET IT TO THE RIGHT GROUP.
RIGHT? PART OF THE DOME, I WAS SPEAKING OF WEBSITES AND APPS.
YOU'VE GOT A COUPLE OF APPS THAT PEOPLE CAN DOWNLOAD ON THEIR PHONE.
THAT'S GOING TO HELP THEM IN TIMES OF EMERGENCY.
RIGHT? SO SOUTH CAROLINA LIKES THE SOUTH CAROLINA EMERGENCY MANAGER APP, WHICH YOU CAN FIND THE TWO DIFFERENT APP STORES.
UM, AND I THINK GOOGLE PLAY AS WELL NOW.
UM, AND THAT'LL, THAT'LL SEND ALERTS RIGHT TO YOUR PHONE.
I KNOW MOST APPS, PEOPLE TURN THE ALERTS OFF BECAUSE IT GETS BORING AND IT FILLS UP, BUT I LET THOSE, LET THOSE COME THROUGH.
UM, AND THAT WAY IT'LL GIVE YOU REAL TIME INFORMATION FROM THE OPERATION CENTER UP IN COLUMBIA.
UM, THE OTHER THING YOU CAN DO IS FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND, UH, NEXT DOOR.
THOSE ARE THREE OF THEM APPS THAT WE'LL BE USING HERE AT BUFORD COUNTY, UM, IN ORDER TO PUSH INFORMATION OUT AND GIVE YOU REAL TIME POSTS, PICTURES, UM, AND, AND, UM, AND OTHER INFORMATION THAT'LL HELP YOU IF YOU NEED TO EVAC AND ALSO TO STAY SAFE.
AND I SAW THAT, UH, YOU'VE GOT A GOOD, UH, WEBSITE THAT ALSO THE BEAVER COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS RECENTLY UPDATED THEIR WEBSITE.
SO YOU GUYS ARE REALLY STAYING KIND OF ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF THINGS.
WE'RE TRYING, WE'RE TRYING TO MATCH THE TECHNOLOGY.
UM, THERE'S NO REASON ANYBODY SHOULD GET SURPRISED BY A HURRICANE.
UM, WE CAN PREDICT THEM, UH, WE CAN ALMOST GET RIGHT DOWN TO WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO COME.
[00:50:01]
PREDICT IS HOW THE WIND IS GOING TO AFFECT THE LANDSCAPE, YOUR HOUSE, THE TREES.SO, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE DIFFERENT APPS ARE DESIGNED TO HELP YOU EVOLVE.
CAUSE EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, THE STORMS COMING AND YOU'RE PREPARED, STAYING IS NOT THE BEST OPTION, UM, YOU KNOW, LEAVE TIME, LEAVE EARLY, UM, LEAVE TIME TO GET THROUGH TRAFFIC AND THEN FIND SAFE LOCATIONS INLAND.
UM, AND AGAIN, THIS YEAR, UH, JUST LIKE LAST YEAR, YOU, EVEN THOUGH COVID IS ALMOST TAMPERED DOWN, YOU STILL NEED TO PREPARE IT, PROTECT YOURSELF.
UM, IF YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN VACCINATED, SO THE EASIEST SOLUTION GET VACCINATED, UM, THAT THAT'S THE EASIEST WAY.
IF YOU HAVEN'T AND YOU MAKE THAT CHOICE, THEN YOU NEED TO TAKE YOUR OWN PRECAUTIONS, UM, IN ORDER NOT TO GET IT.
CAUSE NOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE HUDDLING IN LARGE GROUPS.
UH, YOU MAY BE IN EMERGENCY SHELTERS.
UM, SO I WOULD HAVE STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU WEAR A MASK INSIDE, UH, WHEN YOU'RE IN THESE LARGE GROUPS, UM, IN ORDER TO PROTECT YOURSELF, PROTECT YOUR FAMILY.
UM, AND THEN EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU KNOW, THE OLDER LEVEL ONES, UM, THAT YOU MAY GO VISIT TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE OKAY AFTER THE HURRICANE, RIGHT? YEAH.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE USUALLY TALK ABOUT WITH, UH, COLONEL BAXLEY, BUT WE GOT CUT SHORT ON TIME WAS THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN AN EVACUATION ORDER IS EXECUTED, DON'T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED, YOU KNOW, GO LEAVE, RIGHT.
UM, HAVE A PLACE TO STAY, HAVE A PLACE TO GO.
UM, THERE'S A REASON WHY THEY'RE LAUGHING, ASKING YOU TO EVACUATE.
UM, AND I WOULD MUCH RATHER HAVE YOU SAY, WELL, I SHOULDN'T, I, WHY DID I EVACUATED? OH, THEN I WISHED I HAD, I WISHED I HAD EVACUATED.
UM, SO I KNOW IT'S, UH, IT'S HURRICANES OR INCONVENIENCE FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, BUT THEY'RE ALSO PART OF NATURE.
THEY'RE PART OF OUR LIFE HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, AND YOU NEED TO REACT AND PROTECT YOURSELF AND PROTECT YOUR, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ALWAYS KIND OF BRINGS US TO THE, YOU KNOW, REALITY FOR ME IS THAT COLONEL BAXLEY ALWAYS SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEND PEOPLE OUT CHECKING NEIGHBORHOODS TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE EVACUATED ONCE AN EVACUATION ORDER HAS TAKEN PLACE AND WE'LL KNOCK ON DOORS.
AND IF SOMEBODY ABSOLUTELY REFUSES TO EVACUATE, WE ASK THEM FOR THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION SO THEY CAN PASS IT ONTO THE NEXT OF KIN.
THAT REALLY KIND OF IT ABSOLUTELY DOES.
I MEAN, IT'S THAT SHOCKING MOMENT OF, OKAY, YOU'RE STAYING WELL, THEN WE'RE GOING TO PREPARE FOR THE WORST BECAUSE WE, WE THINK YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT.
UM, AND THAT SHOULD, THAT SHOULD MAKE ANYBODY SCARED.
UH, NO MATTER HOW MUCH THEY PREPARE AND HOW MUCH THEY THINK THAT THEY HAVE, HOW MUCH FOOD THEY HAVE ON HAND, YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN RESCUE IS GOING TO GET THERE.
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW HIGH THE STORM SURGE IS GOING TO COME.
UM, EVEN IN 2021 TO 2022, YOU JUST DON'T KNOW.
AND THEN THE REST IS IN OTHER PEOPLE'S HANDS.
HE IS THE NEW PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER FOR BUFORD COUNTY.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE SEEING HIS NAME A LOT BECAUSE HE IS GOING TO BE SENDING OUT PRESS RELEASES.
HE'S GOING TO BE OUT ON TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK AND ANY WAY THAT HE CAN COMMUNICATE TO YOU.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IT NEXT DOOR.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
AND THANKS FOR YOU JOINING US ON THIS EDITION OF COASTLINE AS ALWAYS.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE ON THE COUNTY CHANNEL AND WE HOPE YOU'LL TUNE IN AGAIN NEXT YEAR THE COUNTY CHANNEL IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON VIDEO, ON DEMAND, GO TO BUFORD COUNTY S C.GOV, SCROLL DOWN TO PUBLIC MEETINGS, CLICK WATCH NOW, AND THEN CLICK THE VIDEO ON DEMAND BUTTON AND SELECT YOUR PROGRAM FROM BLISS CALL TO ORDER IF YOU'D LIKE A DVD OF THIS PROGRAM, CLICK ON THE LINK ON THE RIGHT AND FILL OUT THE ORDER FORM.
AND THANK YOU FOR WATCHING THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
I'M A VOLUNTEER MEMBER OF THE RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS PRESERVATION BOARD.
BEFORE MOVING TO SOUTH CAROLINA, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW RAPID GROWTH, NOT BEING ALWAYS OPTIMIZED WITH THE CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES.
WHEN I MOVED HERE, I DECIDED I WANTED TO BE PART OF THE FUTURE PLANNING TO ENSURE THAT BALANCE THE RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS PRESERVATION BOARD HAS GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A VOICE ON THIS ISSUE FOR BUFORD COUNTY, NOWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES THAT I'VE EVER BEEN.
HAVE I SEEN SUCH A DEDICATED EFFORT TO CONSERVE RESOURCES.
ALL OF US NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN
[00:55:01]
THE GOVERNING PROCESS.AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO MY FAMILY.
I HOPE YOU ALL WILL CONSIDER TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO VOLUNTEER YOUR TALENTS AND YOUR TIME.
I SEE A LISTING OF BUFORD COUNTIES, AGENCIES, BOARDS, AND COMMISSIONS, OR TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION VISIT WWW.BUFORDCOUNTYST.GOV, BACKSLASH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
HI, MY NAME IS JAVIER BRON AND I AM A VOLUNTEER AT THE BUFORD COUNTY ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE DEPARTMENT.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE I, MYSELF HAD STRUGGLES WITH ALCOHOL AND DRUGS.
AND I THINK, UH, ME BEING A MEMBER OF SOCIETY AND, UM, AND IN RECOVERY AND BEING BILINGUAL AS WELL, UH, IS A BIG PLUS TO BE SERVING ON THIS PARTICULAR BOARD.
I'VE BEEN IN THIS, UH, IN THIS COUNTY FOR 26 YEARS AND I'VE SEEN THE GROWTH AND I SEE THE, THE IMPACT AND THE DAMAGE THAT ALCOHOL AND, UH, DRUGS AND NEW DRUGS HAS AFFECTED OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, BY ME BEING OF SERVICE AND EXPERIENCING, UM, SHARING MY EXPERIENCE WITH ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AND GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT THERE AND TELLING, YOU KNOW, LETTING PEOPLE THAT THERE IS LIFE AFTER ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AND, UH, WE, THE BOARD, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR TO OFFER A, A NEW BEGINNING FOR SOMEBODY THAT, UH, THINKS THAT THEY'RE LOST TO SEE A LISTING OF BUFORD COUNTIES, AGENCIES, BOARDS, AND COMMISSIONS, OR TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION VISIT WWW.BUFORDCOUNTYT.GOV, BACKSLASH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
THURSDAY SMASHED THE RIGHT FIELD.
THAT PAUL IS WAY BACK GONE, GO IN LAKE COUNTY HOME, RUN SHOT OVER THE COUNTY CHANNEL ENTERTAINMENT, SPORTS AND INFORMATIONAL PROGRAM IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON OUR COUNTY CHANNEL.
YOUTUBE THIS YEAR, PATRIOTISM SHOULDN'T JUST BE ABOUT PRIDE OF COUNTRY.
REMEMBER THAT TO LOVE AMERICA IS TO LOVE ALL AMERICANS BECAUSE LOVE HAS NO LINKS.
I DON'T REMEMBER A FOREST RANGER, BETTY WHITE HERE LENDING A HAND TO MY DEAR FRIEND, SMOKEY BEAR BECAUSE FOR YEARS, HE'S ONLY SAID ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT WILDFIRES, BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE TO SAY, LIKE IF YOU BOOK YOUR CAR HUNG TALL, DRY GRASS, THE HOT EXHAUST PIPE CAN START A WILDFIRE.
SO KEEP THE ANIMALS SAFE, ESPECIALLY THE CUTE SHIRTS TO SWAMP.
GO TO SMOKEY BEAR.COM TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WILDFIRE PREVENTION.
IT'S A SHORT DRIVE FROM YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO YOUR NATURE HOOD TO FIND A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK OR GREEN SPACE NEAR YOU.
VISIT DISCOVER THE FOREST.ORG.