National Association of Counties * Washington, D.C.            Vol. 31, No. 5 * March 15, 1999

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Train, drill and practice – plan ahead for disaster

By Victoria Vickers
editorial assistant

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Volusia County, Fla. Communications Director Dave Byron, who was in the heat of things during last summer’s raging fires in Florida, shares his experiences on preparing for disasters.

"A crisis or disaster is bigger than any single government–you have to rely on each other," says Jamie Thomas, public information officer, Charleston County, S.C.

Thomas was one of three featured speakers at a workshop sponsored by the National Association of County Information Officers (NACIO) during NACo’s Legislative Conference. Speakers encouraged delegates to develop or fine-tune a disaster plan in their counties.

Survival of the fittest
Combine a 20-foot wall of water with 135-mile-an-hour winds and you get – a hurricane named Hugo. It’s been nearly nine years since Hugo ravaged Charleston County, S.C. The county suffered a $7 billion loss and average power outages of 16 days.

"Charleston County spent seven years with FEMA as our best friends working through our damage claims and ended up with more than $26 million worth of claims that were [not covered] by insurance," says Thomas.

Along with the extensive damage, Hugo left Charles County with some valuable lessons:

• People must be responsible for themselves for the first 48–72 hours.
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is not the first to respond.
• Self reliance, neighbors and local governments are the best resources for dealing with the immediate issues of a disaster.
• The media is your lifeline to the community; and
• It is important to have a public information officer permanently on staff. (At the time when Hugo hit, Charles County’s disaster plan designated the planning director to serve as public information officer. Thomas later accepted the position.)

Know the drill
A crisis is relative. A chemical spill, a bus accident or a courthouse fire that destroys county records can be just as devastating as a natural disaster.

It is important to know how to contact elected officials and key people from near by agencies, so have those phone numbers close at hand.

Thomas admits "I learned the hard way, if its Saturday and you’re trying to close bridges and close interstates, have the [number to the] main switchboard lines [or the number to the] control room of the radio station [or a number] for people who are there around the clock … have laminated cards in your wallet … or a book in your trunk with contact numbers."

A chain of command should be in place as part of your county’s disaster plan. Other important components include a pre-recorded message/hotline to instruct county employees on how to proceed; pre-assigned duties complete with back-up staff in lieu of the limitations of key employees; a fill-in-the-blank press release, pre-assigned press conference times and a location equipped for a media briefing.

A disaster plan should clearly identify each person’s role, especially the communicator. A seasoned public information officer is the likely choice to answer a battery of questions from the media.

The media will want to know what happened, why it happened, the extent of the damage and how the county will recover. Thomas said that for eight months after Hugo the majority of her time was spent on crisis-related communication.

Sounds like a plan
"Train, drill and practice," advised Volusia County (Fla.) Community Information Director David Byron.

Last year when temperatures in Volusia County soared, desert-like conditions ignited fires that burned for 21 days, destroying an estimated 140,000 acres. Two-thirds of the U.S. Aviation population came to the county’s aid, in addition to the 3,000 fire fighters already in place.

The county’s 49 plan-designated public information officers were called in from neighboring counties to carry out their pre-assigned duties. "I hate to be trite," said Byron "but if your county doesn’t have a disaster plan, you need to get one."

Building a disaster–resistant community
Eight months ago, Tillamook County, Ore., with a population of 25,000 and not one public information officer, was recognized by FEMA as a disaster resistant community. "… It takes all of us," said Sue Cameron, the county’s commissioner.

FEMA’s Project Impact initiative strongly encourages partnerships between counties, cities and states, to do the work in the community before disaster hits, explains Cameron. "Project Impact goes beyond preparedness; it’s taking actual measures to mitigate any potential economic or emotional devastation in your community." Tillamook County is on the coast of Oregon and frequently experiences flooding and coastal erosion.

In 1996, the county was soaked by $53 billion in flood damages, the highest per capita damage of any county in Oregon, says Cameron. With only $18,000 in per capita income, building partnerships is the most cost effective way for Tillamook County to reduce the impact of the floods on its citizens.

"We have no choice, we don’t have any money, we don’t have very many people and we have a lot of challenges," admits Cameron.

FEMA’s designation of Tillamook County as a disaster resistant community goes beyond recognition. The county received $300,000 from FEMA, which will be used to purchase a geospacial information system to map flood waters and locate coastal erosion, among other things.

For Tillamook County, planning for disaster means pulling resources and operating with the combined effort of state and federal agencies, citizens and business owners.

The Right Media for the Right Job The media remains the most effective way to reach the community – but consider the strengths and weaknesses of mass communication. Radio – can operate on batteries and has a wide range of broadcast channels. Radio is the best media for the mobile society. Television – often lacks depth and analysis, but has broad general appeal and shapes public opinion. Newspapers – allow more space for details. Excellent for public education. Wire services – provide quick access to newsrooms in all of the above. Web – allows for an immediate impact, easily controlled. But requires power, access and understanding. Cable television – has immediate impact visuals and scrolling references, requires power and has delayed response. Local vs. national media – Local media tends to be more sensitive to the needs of citizens because of its vested interest in the community. It is also more focused on immediate life-saving shelters, distribution locations and evacuation routes. National media has a much broader focus.