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OUR TOPIC THIS MONTH, AND ACTUALLY FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS IS GOING TO BE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PREPAREDNESS FOR HURRICANES.
AND OUR GUEST IS A COLONEL NEIL BAXLEY, WHO IS THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIVISION COMMANDER FOR THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS OFFICE OF BUFORD COUNTY.
BUT BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR INTERVIEW, I DID WANT TO TAKE JUST A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PASSING OF, UH, CHIEF MATT CLANCY, WHO, UH, UH, AS OF THIS TAPING JUST PASSED A FEW DAYS AGO.
UH, HE WAS A STRONG MAN AND A CITADEL GRADUATE, A MARINE AND HAD SERVED, UH, UH, THROUGH THE RANKS, UM, MAKING THE CITY OF BUFORD POLICE CHIEF, UH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND A TESTAMENT TO HIS STRENGTH IS THAT, UH, UH, DESPITE HIS, UH, PROGNOSIS OF CANCER FIVE YEARS AGO, HE KEPT UP HIS WORK SCHEDULE, RIGHT TO THE VERY END.
AND WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO HIS FAMILY FOR ALLOWING US TO HAVE HIM.
YOU ACTUALLY, UH, HIRED HIM, DIDN'T YOU? I WAS THE RICK, I WAS THE TRAINING SERGEANT AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WHEN MATT CAME OUT OF THE MARINE CORPS AND BEGAN HIS LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER WITH US.
SO I'M THE PERSON THAT BROUGHT HIM ABOARD BOARD AND GOT HIM INTO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WELL, SIR, WE BRING YOU IN EVERY MONTH OR EVERY YEAR I SHOULD SAY.
AND THE TOPIC IS ALWAYS THE SAME HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS AND THINGS ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THIS YEAR.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT, UH, UH, COLONEL BAXLEY AND I ARE AT LEAST SIX FEET APART FROM EACH OTHER.
AND, UM, PRIOR TO COMING HERE, WE WERE BOTH WEARING OUR MASKS, UM, AS IS REQUIRED BY CURRENT LAW.
UM, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO DO AN INTERVIEW WITH A MASK ON THOSE.
SO WE, UH, HAVE SPACED OURSELVES APPROPRIATELY, BUT, UM, THE SITUATION WITH COVID-19 IS NOT ONLY AFFECTING PEOPLE ON THE DAY-TO-DAY LIFE, BUT IT'S ALSO MAKING YOUR JOB MISERABLE.
AS FAR AS THE SCHEDULING AND PLANNING FOR A SHELTER.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT MISERABLE RIG, BUT IT IS PRESENTING SOME CHALLENGES.
I LOVE WHAT I DO, AND I DON'T THINK I'D EVER PUT MISERABLE INTO IT, BUT, UH, WHAT, WHAT THE, UH, WHAT THE VIRUS HAS DONE TO US IN THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SIDE, OF COURSE, WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE RESPONSE TO THE VIRUS SINCE, UH, EARLY MARCH, UH, WITH
BUT WHAT HAS DONE TO US ON THE HURRICANE SIDE IS SHELTERS.
UH, WHEN, IF, AND WHEN AN EVACUATION IS ORDERED BY THE GOVERNOR AND WE OPENED PUBLIC SHELTERS, THE CAPACITY OF THOSE SHELTERS HAS BEEN CUT BY SOMETHING CLOSE TO TWO THIRDS.
THE AMERICAN RED CROSS SETS THE CRITERIA FOR SPACING IN THE SHELTERS, AND THEY, THEY, THEY DESIGNATE THE FACILITIES AND WE'VE GONE FROM SOMETHING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 40 SQUARE FEET PER PERSON TO A LITTLE OVER 70 SQUARE FEET PER PERSON, WHICH DIMINISHES THE CAPACITY OF THE SHELTER.
UH, WE SPENT A LOT OF EFFORT, RESOURCES AND MONEY OVER IN JASPER COUNTY, JASPER HIGH SCHOOL, CREATING WHAT WE CALL THE JASPER SUPER SHELTER.
AND IT HAD A CAPACITY OF SEVERAL THOUSAND AND UP UNTIL COVID AND NOW IT HAS A CAPACITY OF JUST OVER 400.
SO IF WE GET INTO THE SCENARIO OF NEEDING PUBLIC SHELTERS, WE'LL OPEN THAT ONE FIRST.
AND AS IT REACHES ABOUT HALF OF THAT SCHEDULED CAPACITY, ROUGHLY 200 FOLKS WILL HAVE TO OPEN SHELTERS FURTHER INLAND IN HAMPTON, UH, BARNWELL BAMBURG, UH, IN AIKEN COUNTIES.
AND THE CHALLENGE THEN BECOMES THOSE SHELTERS WILL BE AT MINIMUM CAPACITY, UH, BECAUSE OF THE VIRUS.
AND THEN WE ARE ALSO HAVING THE, A GREATER CHALLENGE OF FINDING STAFFING FOR THOSE SHELTERS.
AND THEN FINALLY, FOLKS THAT NEED TRANSPORTATION TO THE SHELTERS.
WE USE PAMPHLET OF BREEZE, UH, AS OUR TRANSPORTATION MERCY SUPPORT FUNCTION AND WHERE A BUS WOULD NORMALLY LEAVE A PICKUP POINT WITH 45 OR 50 PEOPLE ON IT FULL IT'S NOT GOING TO BE LEAVING HALF FULL BECAUSE OF THE VIRUS.
AND SO WE WOULD LOSE THAT BUS NORMALLY AFTER ONE LIFT, WE WOULD NOT NEED TO BRING IT BACK.
NOW, WE'LL HAVE TO WORK IT BACK INTO THE COUNTY AND RELOAD A SECOND, A SECOND LIFT AND SEND IT OUT.
SO IT'S, IT'S EXPANDING THE RESOURCE DEMAND.
IT'S EXPANDING THE TIMELINE, UM, A LOT OF CHALLENGES INVOLVED
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IN SHELTERING AND COVID, WELL, I'M GLAD THAT YOU'VE THOUGHT IT ALL OUT.I AM SURE THAT, UH, GIVING THE 70 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE IS GOING TO BE HELPFUL, BUT, UH, AS I SEE IT, THERE ARE OTHER CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH BRINGING PEOPLE IN FEEDING THEM, USING THE BATH FACILITIES AND ALL THAT.
UM, HAVE YOU GUYS WORKED ALL THOSE LOGISTICS? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
THAT THOSE CHALLENGES ARE ALWAYS THERE TO HAVE A FEEDING PLAN TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ADEQUATE RESTAURANT FACILITIES AND EVERYTHING.
WHAT WE WILL BE DOING, UH, IN THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE FIELD IS WE WILL BE SCREENING EVERY PERSON BEFORE THEY GET ON, ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND SCREENING THEM AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE SHELTER.
BEFORE THEY'RE ADMITTED INTO THE SHELTER.
ANYONE WHO, UM, HAS EITHER BEEN EXPOSED OR IS EXPERIENCING ANY SYMPTOMS WILL BE DIRECTED TO A SEPARATE SEGMENT OF THE SHELTER AND ISOLATED SEGMENT.
UH, SO THEY WILL NOT, UH, EXPOSE THE FOLKS IN THE MAIN PORTION OF THE SHELTER.
AND IF THEY'RE SICK, WHEN THEY ARRIVE, UM, AND NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION, THEN THEY WILL BE TAKEN, UH, ARE DIRECTED TO A MEDICAL FACILITY THAT CAN HANDLE THE THERE'S.
UH, AND OF COURSE WE'RE WORKING IN SITUATIONS NOW WHERE HOSPITALS ARE GOING ON DIVERSION BECAUSE THEY'RE FULL, UH, AND THAT'S HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE LOW COUNTRY, UH, FROM CHARLESTON, UH, DOWN INTO THE COASTAL EMPIRE DOWN IN SAVANNAH, HOSPITALS ARE GOING ON DIVERSION.
SO IF WE GET SOMEONE WHO'S SICK, THEN WE HAVE TO FIND A FACILITY THAT CAN TAKE THEM.
IT'S GOT AN AVAILABLE BED TO TAKE THEM A LOT OF CHALLENGES.
AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THESE CHALLENGES EVERY DAY, UM, AND GETTING NEW ONES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE HAVE EXERCISED PANDEMICS BEFORE.
AND WE DID HAVE A PANDEMIC PLAN AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE SINCE THE MIDDLE 1990S.
UH, WE'D NEVER ACTUALLY LIVED THROUGH ONE.
IT'S ONE THING TO DO A TABLETOP EXERCISE.
IT'S ANOTHER TO WORK YOUR WAY THROUGH IT.
HOW IS THIS COMPARING TO THE PLAN? UH, IT'S, IT'S FOLLOWING ALONG PRETTY GOOD.
UH, YOU EXPECT TO HAVE, UH, HAVE DIFFICULTIES IN THE FIRST DIFFICULTY WAS A SHORTAGE OF PPE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
UH, WHEN THE ENTIRE NATION IS SUDDENLY, UH, DEMANDING THE SAME CONSUMABLE ITEM, UH, AND YOU'RE FIGHTING FOR THAT.
UH, FORTUNATELY AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, WE HAD A SMALL CACHE OF PPE SET AWAY.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THE SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES AND EMERGENCY RESPONDERS.
AND IN THIS, THE NATIONAL RESPONSE PLAN WAS ABLE TO GET US A QUANTITY OF THEM FLOWING, UH, TO SUSTAIN US UNTIL THE MANUFACTURERS COULD CATCH UP.
I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING THEM NOW FROM THE MANUFACTURERS, BUT WE'RE NOT GETTING THEM IN THE QUANTITIES.
AND THEN, THEN WE HAVE A SURGE OF SOMETHING LIKE, UH, SOMETHING CAME ACROSS MY DESK THIS MORNING.
SOME, UH, FACILITIES ARE LOOKING FOR DISPOSABLE GOWNS.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIND, UH, AN OUTLET TO GET THEM DISPOSABLE GOWNS, UH, THROUGH THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS, BECAUSE NOBODY HASN'T BEEN STOCKED IN THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE SIDE OF THE HOUSE.
SO WE'RE JUST MEETING THESE CHALLENGES EVERY DAY AND FINDING A WAY THROUGH THEM.
GETTING BACK TO THE SHELTERING, YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO BE SCREENING EVERYBODY.
UM, WHAT IS THE SCREENING? IS IT JUST TAKING A TEMPERATURE OR YOU'LL BE DOING A SWAB? UH, NO, NOT A SWAB.
UH, THERE'LL BE TAKING THE TEMPERATURE AND A QUESTIONNAIRE, UH, TO SEE.
AND, AND OF COURSE THEN YOU'RE ON THE HONOR PLAN THAT FOLKS ARE GONNA TELL YOU THE TRUTH.
AND YOU'RE SITTING THERE LOOKING AT A HURRICANE COMING AGAIN.
I WANT TO STRESS, WE HAVE A PLACE FOR THEM TO GO IF, YOU KNOW, SO BE HONEST WAS, WE'RE NOT GONNA PUT YOU OUT IN THE ELEMENTS.
WE JUST GONNA KEEP YOU SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN POPULATION THAT IS NOT DISPLAYING ANY SYMPTOMS. SO AGAIN, WE NEED HONESTY AND IF YOU GET SICK, UH, WE NEED TO KNOW THAT AHEAD OF TIME.
IF YOU'RE GETTING SICK, WE CAN RESPOND TO THAT APPROPRIATELY.
UM, WELL THEN WE MOVE FORWARD.
IT'S BEEN QUITE A YEAR AND NOT ONLY IS COVID OUR, UM, ON OUR RADAR, BUT, UH, THE HURRICANE SEASON HAS, SEEMS TO HAVE GOTTEN A HEAD START AS WE ARE TAPING THIS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, ISAIAH I S I THINK IS HOW YOU PRONOUNCE HIS NAME.
UH, HE IS, UH, SCHEDULED TO, I THINK, MAYBE DO A GLANCING BLOW TO BUFORD COUNTY AS OF RIGHT NOW.
UM, IT LOOKS LIKE PERHAPS THE NORTH CAROLINA AND THE, UH, VIRGINIA COASTLINE MIGHT GET THE BRUNT OF IT UP TO NEW JERSEY.
BUT, UH, UH, ARE YOU SURPRISED BY HOW EARLY THIS IS, UH, BEGUN? NO, THIS HAS BEEN A TREND FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS OF, UH, MORE STORMS. IT'S A CYCLIC TREND.
IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK BACK THROUGH HISTORY, YOU CAN SEE THE CYCLES.
AND WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT 200 YEARS OF REALLY GOOD QUALITY WEATHER HISTORY, UH, IN THIS COUNTRY.
I AM A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT WE'RE IN JULY AND WE'RE IN THE ICE STORM.
I, UM, I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT IS A FIRST TO GET THAT, THAT MANY STORMS, THIS, THIS EARLY, UH, DOES NOT BODE WELL FOR SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER.
UH, AND LIKE YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TAPING
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THIS ONE, THIS EPISODE, UH, WITH A STORM OUT THERE, WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT SOME TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS SUNDAY NIGHT, UH, AND SOME WATER INUNDATION AND LOW LYING AREAS.UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW AS A GOOD WARMUP FOR WHAT'S PROBABLY COMING IN SEPTEMBER.
GETTING BACK TO, UH, SOCIAL DISTANCING AND EVERYTHING.
I'M KIND OF GLAD WE DECIDED TO DO THIS PROGRAM IN OUR STUDIOS.
UM, THE LAST COUPLE, I THINK WE DID ONE OUT AT THE AIRPORT AND THE ONE BEFORE THAT WAS OUT AT SOME COUNTY FACILITY, BOTH OF THEM WERE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER HEAT.
SO IT'S A BLESSING TO HAVE THE AIR CONDITIONER ON, BUT, UH, UH, TYPICALLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU DO AND WHERE WE'VE TAPED ALSO IN THE PAST HAS BEEN THE EMERGENCY FACILITY.
UM, HOW HAS THAT ALL GONNA WORK OUT? CAUSE YOU USUALLY BRING IN, UM, GOSH, I DON'T KNOW, 30 OR 40 EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELD TO MAN PHONES AND DEAL WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE AREAS.
IS THAT GOING TO CHANGE? NO, UH, IT'S CLOSER TO 50.
UH, WE HAVE 35 SEATS IN THE ROOM AND IT'S CLOSER TO 50 PEOPLE, UH, TO GET THE JOB DONE PER SHIFT.
AND, UH, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T SCALE THAT BACK.
THOSE ARE ALL CRITICAL PEOPLE AND THEY HAVE TO BE WORKING TOGETHER.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, ON A NORMAL DAY TO DAY, PEOPLE SAY, WELL, YOU CAN DO IT, UH, YOU KNOW, ELECTRONICALLY AND DIGITALLY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW WILL FAIL IS THE POWER AND THE ELECTRONICS AND THE NETWORK.
AND SO WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO FUNCTION.
UH, SO WE'LL BE DOING SCREENING AGAIN.
UH, THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY FACILITIES HAS BEEN LOCKED DOWN.
NOW, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WE'VE GONE THROUGH A LOCKDOWN THIS SUMMER, UH, WITH THE BUILDING'S CLOSED, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS REMAINED CLOSED ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
WE DID NOT REOPEN AT ANY POINT.
UH, AND SO WE'LL BE DOING SCREENING AT THE DOOR, TEMPERATURE SCREENINGS.
WE'LL BE SCREENING AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY SHIFT.
UH, WE MAY SCREEN PERIODICALLY THROUGH THE 12 HOUR SHIFT, WHAT WE UNDERSTAND THESE SYMPTOMS CAN COME ON IN A HURRY.
SO WE MAY PERIODICALLY JUST GO THROUGH THE ROOM AND JUST DO A SPOT CHECK ON EVERYBODY'S TEMPERATURE, UH, WITH THE LITTLE DIGITAL HANDGUNS.
UM, AND WE'LL DO THE SAME QUESTIONNAIRE SCREENING.
HAVE YOU BEEN EXPOSED, UH, IS ANYONE IN YOUR FAMILY SICK? HAVE YOU BEEN SICK? AND WE WERE ALREADY LETTING THAT WORD OUT TO THE SFC.
IF YOU'VE GOT SOMEBODY IN THAT CATEGORY, DON'T SEND THEM, SEND SOMEBODY ELSE.
AND EVERY, EVERY DESK, UH, EVERY EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTION ESF DESK IN THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER IS THREE AND FOUR DEEP IN TALENT.
SO IF SOME, ONE PERSON IS SICK THERE, THEY'VE GOT A REPLACEMENT.
AND FOR OUR VIEWERS THAT MAY NOT HAVE SEEN OUR PREVIOUS PROGRAMS DEALING WITH HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS, GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT THE VARIOUS ESF CONSISTS OF.
UH, IT FOLLOWS THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN.
SO YOU COULD WALK INTO ANY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER IN THE COUNTRY AND SEE THE SAME TITLES, THE SAME DUTIES, THE SAME JOB RESPONSIBILITIES, YOU'D JUST SEE DIFFERENT FACES.
UH, AND EACH ONE, UH, HAS A SPECIFIC DUTY.
FOR EXAMPLE, ESF ONE IS TRANSPORTATION FOR US AS PAMELA BRAISE.
UH, AND IT'S A SACK ON DLT OVERSEAS THAT ESF, UH, 13 AND 16 ARE TRAFFIC CONTROL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT SECURITY ESF.
UH, EIGHT IS EMERGENCY MEDICAL.
UH, ESF FOUR IS FIRE-FIGHTING ESF NINE IS SEARCH AND RESCUE.
THOSE TWO ARE COMBINED, UH, ESF 19 IS THE NATIONAL GUARD.
UH, AND I'M TRYING TO CALL THEM OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
UH, ESF 24 IS BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS, WHICH IS THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, UH, AND THE SACRAMENTO, UM, RETAIL ASSOCIATION.
SO THERE THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT MOVING PARTS.
IT'S NOT JUST THE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS, BUT, BUT THE ECONOMICS, THE RED CROSS, UH, IS PRESENT IN THERE.
THEY SIT IT IN ESF IS F DESK ALONG WITH, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES.
THEY DO THE HUMAN SERVICES SIDE OF IT, SEEING TO THE SHELTERS.
UH, IF WE RUN INTO ANY KIND OF SITUATIONS INVOLVING THE INDIVIDUAL, UH, CRITERIA, WE'LL GET IT TO THEM, YOU KNOW, HOMELESS FOLKS, UH, THAT, THAT NEED TO GET TO SHELTER OR, UH, MAYBE LAW ENFORCEMENT'S OUT DOING THEIR PATROLS AND CHECKS, AND THEY COME UPON SOMEONE WHO'S HOMELESS WHO DOESN'T KNOW WHERE TO TURN.
THEY CALL UP TO THE ESF LAW DESK.
THE LAW DESK TURNS AROUND TO THE DSS FOLKS, UH, AT THE HUMAN SERVICES DESK SAY, HEY, WE'VE GOT THIS SITUATION AND WE'LL ARRANGE TRANSPORTATION FOR THEM THROUGH ESF ONE AND GET THEM TO A SHELTER.
BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THERE'S A LOT INVOLVED IN BEING PREPARED FOR AN EMERGENCY, A TON INVOLVED.
AND WE DON'T DO THIS JUST FOR HURRICANES.
WE HAD THAT ACTIVATED DURING THE GREAT BLIZZARD OF 2018 AND, UH, WE ACTIVATED IT DURING Y2K AND WE HAVE ACTIVATED PORTIONS OF IT DURING A WATER FESTIVAL AND THE REALLY BIG NIGHTS, LIKE FRIDAY NIGHT WHEN THEY HAVE THE DANCE AND THE STREET DANCE AND THE PARADE IN YEARS PAST, WE'VE ACTIVATED CERTAIN SEGMENTS OF IT THAT APPROPRIATELY MEET THE NEED.
WELL, I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO DISCUSS IT'S CRITICAL TO BEING PARTICULARLY IN AN ACTIVE SEASON IS OF PERSONAL PLAN.
EVERYBODY WHO LIVES IN A HURRICANE PRONE AREA LIKE BUFORD COUNTY SHOULD HAVE A PLAN READY FOR
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THEIR FAMILY ON WHAT TO DO AND WHEN TO DO IT.THAT IS, THAT IS MY, WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO I NEED TO DO, HAVE A PLAN AND NOT JUST FOR HURRICANES, BUT FOR ALL THE EMERGENCY, SEVERE WEATHER, TORNADOES, THUNDERSTORMS, AND EARTHQUAKE WE'RE IN AN EARTHQUAKE PRONE AREA.
UH, SOUTH CAROLINA IS SO YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT.
THE PLAN WOULD BE, UH, WHERE AM I GOING TO SHELTER IT IN THIS OR THIS EMERGENCY? WOULD IT BE IN AN INTERIOR ROOM, WHICH ROOM? OR AM I LEAVING BECAUSE OF A HURRICANE? WHERE AM I GOING? WHO AM I GOING TO STAY WITH? WHAT ARE MY IMPORTANT PAPERS? WHERE ARE THEY? UH, IF I ASK YOU RIGHT NOW, YOU'VE GOT ONE HOUR TO LEAVE.
RICK, YOU'VE GOT TO BE GONE IN ONE HOUR.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE ALL YOUR IMPORTANT PAPERS, YOUR MEDICATIONS, UM, AND THOSE THINGS ARE AT, DO YOU HAVE THEM READY TO GO? ARE YOU GOING TO BE SCRAMBLING AROUND TRYING TO GET THEM ALL TOGETHER? AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE 30 MILES DOWN THE ROAD.
REMEMBER YOU FORGOT SOMETHING.
SO PART OF THAT PLAN IS HAVING ALL THAT.
NOW IN ONE PLACE, UH, HAVING YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS, UH, KEPT KEEP THEM FILLED.
UH, YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS IT COMES TIME TO RENEW THEM, EVEN THOUGH YOU'VE GOT SOME EXTRAS, UH, RENEW THEM, UH, SO THAT YOU'VE GOT THEM ON HAND AND HAVE THAT READY TO GO.
AND IN THE COVID ENVIRONMENT OF THE SHELTERING, OUR FIRST RECOMMENDATION IS FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE PRACTICING RESPONSIBILITY, UH, THAT THEY'RE SAFE AND HEALTHY, AND YOU CAN GO STAY WITH THEM AND YOU'RE SAFE AND HEALTHY.
SO THAT THE, BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS OF YOU, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO EXPOSE EACH OTHER.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO PUT EACH OTHER IN DANGER.
WHEREAS IF YOU GO TO A HOTEL, UH, YOU MIGHT WANT TO HURT SOMEONE, SUGGESTED THEY RESERVE A ROOM A DAY AHEAD OF TIME.
SO, YOU KNOW, 24 HOURS, THERE'S NOBODY IN THAT ROOM.
UH, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE THERE, YOU KNOW, IT WILL BE CLEAN AND THERE WON'T BE, YOU KNOW, THE VIRUS WON'T BE EXISTING ON A HARD SURFACE.
UH, BUT FRIENDS AND FAMILY IS FIRST.
AND THEN THE HOTEL PSYCHO, BECAUSE THEN YOU, YOU HAVE TO INTERACT WITH PEOPLE.
SO IN THIS PLAN, KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE HAPPIEST DAYS OF MY LIFE IN 2020 WAS THE DAY I WAS ABLE TO GET A FIVE PACK OF LYSOL SPRAY AND ANOTHER FIVE PACK OF CLOROX WIPES.
UH, AND IT, TRUST ME IF WE'RE GOING TO A HOTEL, UH, DURING THIS HURRICANE SEASON, IT'S GOING TO BE DALLAS.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE STRUGGLING, UH, IN MY PERSONAL FAMILY, WE'RE STRUGGLING TO FIND A LYSOL.
WE ARE STRUGGLING TO FIND, YEAH, IT WAS AT COSTCO ON ONE PARTICULAR DAY UP IN CHARLESVIEW.
FORTUNATELY I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TONIGHT.
TRUST ME, THAT DOES BRING US TO ANOTHER, UH, CONCERN.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU'VE GOT THE INSIGHT ON THIS, BUT, UM, WHEN YOU DO GO STAY AT A FACILITY, UM, ARE YOU AT RISK? YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN THIS TALK ABOUT THE SURFACES AND HOW LONG STUFF VIRUSES STAY ON THERE.
AND WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE OPTION OF HAVING THAT ROOM CLEAN FOR A DAY, TAKE SOME TIME AND READ THE CDC GUIDELINES.
THOSE ARE THE EXPERTS, THEY ARE THE SCIENTIFIC EXPERTS.
AND I CANNOT EMPHASIZE THAT ENOUGH, THE CDC OR THE SCIENTIFIC EXPERTS AND READ WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.
ALL VIRUSES WILL EXIST ON A HARD SURFACE FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME.
UH, SOME ARE KNOWN TO EXIST FOR UP TO TWO WEEKS.
AND IF YOU REHYDRATE THEM, THEY BECOME LIVE AGAIN.
SO IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE SITUATION AND YOU WALK INTO THE FACILITY, UH, SOMEHOW CLEAN IT, IF IT'S NOTHING BUT A WARM, SOAPY WATER, AND YOU DRIVE GOOD, DO SOMETHING TO CLEAN IT, TO, UH, THE, THE HARD SURFACES TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO PROTECT YOURSELF.
AND THEN OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO LIVE, UH, AND THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO WAY TO TOTALLY ENCAPSULATE YOURSELF THE WORLD, WHETHER IT IS, BUT IT'S INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE.
I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY THAT COULD DO IT, BUT, UH, SO YOU TAKE ALL THE PRECAUTIONS YOU CAN TAKE, AND THEN YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE.
SO ALONG THAT LINE, DO YOU THINK THE PRECAUTIONS ARE SUFFICIENT TO BE MASKED TO WASH YOUR HANDS REGULATE? AND THIS I THINK IS PROBABLY WHAT I WOULD SAY FOR, FOR MOST FIRST AND FOREMOST IS FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON'T TOUCH YOUR FACE.
IT'S IT'S HUMAN NATURE TO SCRATCH HER FACE OR TO SCRATCH HER NOSE AND SORT OF THING.
UH, AND I CATCH MYSELF DOING IT, UH, BECAUSE IT'S, I'VE DONE IT ALL MY LIFE.
AND THIS PARTICULAR VIRUS FROM, FROM THE READING I'VE DONE, AND I AM BY NO MEANS A DOCTOR OR A PATHOLOGIST OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT I DO READ AND ARE, UM, IS IT'S INHALED IT'S, IT'S, UH, AERIAL AND IT'S INHALED.
AND SO IF YOU CAN KEEP YOUR, YOUR FACE AND YOUR NOSE COVERED WHEN YOU'RE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO OTHER FOLKS, AND YOU CAN KEEP YOUR HAND FREQUENT HAND WASHING, UH, IN CLEANING YOUR HANDS AND THEN STAY AWAY FROM FACEBOOK.
SO IF YOU TOUCH THIS HARD SURFACE AND LET'S SAY, UH, THAT YOU HAD SNEEZED ACROSS THIS TABLE RIGHT BEFORE WE CAME IN, UM, AND, AND I LAY MY HANDS ON, AND THEN I BRING THEM TO MY FACE.
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I HAVE TRANSMITTED THAT DISEASE THAT SIMPLY, UH, AND WOULDN'T KNOW IT.MAYBE I HADN'T WALKED IN THE ROOM YET.
SO I DO BELIEVE, AND I FIRMLY, LIKE YOU SAID, WE WERE ALL WEARING MASKS BEFORE THE CAMERAS WENT LIVE AND WE'RE SIX FEET APART.
AND THE REST OF THE PRODUCTION CREW IS LEFT THE ROOM.
UH, WASN'T, THERE'S ONE CAMERA PERSON OVER HERE, BUT THEY'RE MORE THAN SIX FEET AND THEIR MASKS.
UM, I DO FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE MASK, UH, MAKES A DIFFERENCE, UH, BECAUSE IT'S PROTECTING YOU FROM OTHERS AND PROTECTING OTHERS FROM YOU.
AND THE HAND-WASHING IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD DO ALL THE TIME.
ANYWAY, FLU SEASON, WE ENCOURAGE FOLKS DON'T SHAKE HANDS BECAUSE OF THE SAME REASON.
UM, SO I, I, I BELIEVE IN IT, BUT THE CDC, THEY'RE THE EXPERTS, AND THEY'RE CONSTANTLY, AS, AS THEY LEARN MORE AND MORE ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR VIRUS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ADJUSTING THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO YOU NEED TO STAY CURRENT WITH THOSE.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT HIDING THEM.
IT'S OUT THERE ON THEIR WEBSITE, GO TO THEM AND SAY, YEAH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF CONTROVERSY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE OPPOSED TO MASKS, BUT REALLY WHEN YOU STOP AND THINK ABOUT IT, WHETHER YOU BELIEVE OR NOT THAT THEY'RE EFFICACIOUS, ISN'T IT JUST A MATTER OF GRACE TO LOOK OUT FOR THE CONCERNS OF OTHER PEOPLE.
THERE IS A LOT OF CONTROVERSY.
UM, AND AGAIN, I GO BACK TO CDC AND THOSE FOLKS THROUGH ALL OF THEIR SCIENTIFIC EXPERTISE, THEY'RE RECOMMENDING IT.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IN MY OPINION, IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO TO PROTECT, YOU KNOW, TO PROTECT OTHERS, YOU MIGHT BE FEELING FINE.
AND THIS DISEASE HAS SHOWN THAT IT IS NON-DISCRIMINATORY, IT, IT ATTACKS RANDOMLY ACROSS ALL AGES AND DEMOGRAPHICS, UH, AND ETHNICITIES, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU AND I COULD BOTH GET IT.
AND ONE OF US BARELY EXPERIENCED COLD LIKE SYMPTOMS AND THE OTHER ONE OF US PASS AWAY FROM IT.
UH, SO, AND THERE'S NO RHYME OR REASON FOR IT.
UH, SO WHEN THEY'RE SAYING THAT WEARING A MASK IS AN EFFECTIVE AND A SMART THING TO DO, I GOTTA AGREE WITH IT.
I'M NOT SMART ENOUGH TO TELL HIM NO.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE WANTED TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT BEFORE WE, UH, TAKE OFF IS, UM, WE LIVE IN A DAY OF MASS COMMUNICATION TO THE NTH DEGREE, LIKE NOTHING WE'VE EVER SEEN, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TICK TALK, WHATEVER THE OPTIONS ARE, EVERYBODY'S GOT AN OPINION, AND THEY'RE ALL WANTING TO SHARE IT WITH YOU.
AND REALLY THOSE ARE NOT THE PLACES TO GO FOR YOUR INFORMATION WHEN IT COMES TO HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS, AS IT, DURING HURRICANE MATTHEW, WE UNDERESTIMATED THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
AND WE LEARNED, UH, AND WE NOW HAVE A SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST.
THAT'S ALL SHE DOES EVERY DAY, UH, IS, IS WORK WITH THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND GET THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIVISION MESSAGE OUT THERE.
UM, WE IDENTIFIED 144 SOURCES OF HURRICANE MATTHEW INFORMATION.
AND MOST OF THEM WERE PUTTING OUT BAD INFORMATION.
SOME OF THEM THEY DIDN'T MEAN TO, BUT THEY WERE, SOME OF THEM WERE INTENTIONALLY DOING IT.
THERE IS AN ELEMENT IN SOCIETY THAT SOWS DISINFORMATION FOR WHATEVER REASON.
SO I ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO FIND AN AUTHORITATIVE SOURCE.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR HURRICANE INFORMATION, YOUR FIRST TWO CHOICES ARE THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER WEBSITE OUT OF MIAMI AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE OUT OF CHARLESTON.
THEY LAUNCHED THE WEATHER BALLOONS.
THEY HAVE THE SATELLITES, EVERYBODY ELSE IS COPYING THEIR INFORMATION.
AND THEN, UH, LOOK TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO OUR PLATFORMS FOR LOCAL BUFORD COUNTY INFORMATION LOOKED TO THE MUNICIPALITIES AND BUFORD COUNTY, BUFORD PORT ROYAL, BLUFFTON HILTON HEAD ALL HAVE WEB PAGES.
THEY HAVE FACEBOOK PAGES, THEY HAVE TWITTER PAGES AND THEY'RE PUTTING OUT GOOD, SOLID INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN TAKE TO THE BANK.
UM, AND WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER.
WE ALL HAVE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS AND WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR MESSAGES, UH, CONSISTENT, UH, AND YET TAILORED UNIQUELY TO BLUFFTON NEEDS ARE BUFORD STAGE WITH COUNTIES DATES.
UH, AND SO GO TO THOSE SOURCES.
WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT YOUR NEIGHBORS, FACEBOOK, OR SOME STRANGER, OR SOME STRANGER, A WEATHER PAGE THAT, YOU KNOW, HE JUST SAT, HE LIKES TO DO WEATHER, WHATEVER YOU ARE RUNNING THE RISK OF GETTING SOME REALLY BAD INFORMATION AND MAKING REALLY BAD DECISIONS BASED ON IT.
I'M NOT A METEOROLOGIST, BUT I DID STAY AT THE HOLIDAY INN LAST TIME.
AND, UH, SO YOU'RE RUNNING A RISK OF MAKING REALLY BAD DECISIONS.
AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS IS, UH, LIKE WE SAW IN HURRICANE MATTHEW, OUR REENTRY PLAN WORKED EXACTLY AS WE HAD PLANNED IT, BUT WE HAD TREMENDOUS TRAFFIC CONGESTION OUTSIDE OF THE, THE ROAD CHECKS BECAUSE A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T LISTEN TO US WHEN WE WERE TELLING THEM DON'T COME HOME.
WE UNDERESTIMATED SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT THEY WERE LISTENING TO OTHERS, UH, ON FACEBOOK.
AND SOME OF THESE OTHER PLATFORMS THAT WERE SAYING EVERYTHING'S GREAT.
SO MANY PEOPLE DIDN'T EVEN LIVE IN BEAVER COUNTY THAT WERE SAYING THIS.
UH, AND SO, BUT THEY SHOWED UP AT THE CHECKPOINTS AND WE WEREN'T LETTING THEM IN BECAUSE WE WERE NOT READY FOR THEM.
WE GOT 40 SECONDS LEFT, BUT I WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THE TWO SOURCES
[00:25:01]
I LOVE.AND THAT IS THE, UH, UH, NIXLE OPTIONS.
UH, TELL US QUICKLY ABOUT NIXON.
NIXLE IS AN EMAIL BASED PLATFORM, UH, AND AN APP PLATFORM THAT WE PUT OUT INFORMATION EVERY DAY.
YOU SEE A BUNCH OF PATROL CARS, ALONG SIDE ROAD TO BLUE LIGHTS FOR FASHION.
IF YOU'RE SUBSCRIBED TO NIXLE, WE'LL TELL YOU, AND WE'LL TELL YOU PROMPTLY.
UM, IT'S, IT'S FREE TO SIGN UP, JUST GO TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WEBSITE.
WE'VE GOT A BUTTON THERE TO CLICK TO GET YOU THE NIXLE.
WE'VE GOT A BUTTON TO GET YOU TO, UH, OUR TWITTER AND OUR FACEBOOK PAGES.
AND IT'S ALL THERE TO WORK FOR HIM.
BCSO.NET WAS THE SECOND SOURCE WHERE I GO FOR INFORMATION MAJOR NEIL BAXLEY.
IF THEY HAD A GENERAL LINE, YOU'RE ABOUT AS HIGH AS YOU CAN GO AS HIGH AS I CAN GO.
AND THANK SHERIFF TANNER FOR ALL THAT HE DOES.
THAT'S ANOTHER EPISODE OF COASTLINE.
WE HOPE THAT YOU DON'T NEED THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE PROVIDED THIS MONTH, BUT IT'S THERE.
IF YOU DO AND SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS, HAVE A GREAT TIME AND STAY SAFE.
THE CHANNEL IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON VIDEO, ON DEMAND.
GO TO BUFORD COUNTY.GOV, SCROLL DOWN TO PUBLIC MEETINGS.
CLICK WATCH NOW, AND THEN CLICK THE VIDEO ON DEMAND BUTTON AND SELECT YOUR PROGRAM FROM MELISSA 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 DISASTER PLANNING CONSISTS OF THREE SIMPLE STEPS, MAKE A PLAN, BUILD A KIT, STAND FOR THEM.
EVERY FAMILY SHOULD HAVE A PLAN FOR HOW THEY WILL COMMUNICATE DURING AN EMERGENCY AND WHERE THEY WILL MEET IF SEPARATED, HAVING BASIC EMERGENCY SUPPLIES ON HAND, WHEN KEEPING YOU ALIVE DURING THE DISASTER MONITORED LOCAL RADIO STATIONS FOR IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND UPDATES, VISIT ECSO.NET.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, DISASTER PLANNING CONSISTS OF THREE SIMPLE STEPS.
MAKE A PLAN, BUILD A KIT, STAND FOR THEM.
EVERY FAMILY SHOULD HAVE A PLAN FOR HOW THEY WILL COMMUNICATE DURING AN EMERGENCY AND WHERE THEY WILL MEET IF SEPARATELY, HAVING BASIC EMERGENCY SUPPLIES ON HAND, WHEN KEEPING YOU ALIVE DURING THE DISASTER MONITORED LOCAL RADIO STATIONS FOR IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND UPDATES, VISIT ECSO.NET FOR MORE INFORMATION,