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INDEX TO MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING
OF BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF APRIL 15, 2005
1.CALL TO ORDER........................................................................................ 1
2.INVOCATION ............................................................................................... 1
3.PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE...................................................................... 1
4.ADDITIONS/DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA/EMERGENCY
ITEMS ............................................................................................................ 1
5.EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER (EOC) REVIEW .................. 2
6.EOC DISCUSSION FOR SUGGESTIONS AND POLICY
RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................. 3
7.ADJOURNMENT 12:14 PM. ................................................................... 10
April 15, 2005 1
April 15, 2005
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS
The Board of County Commissioners of Indian River County, Florida, met in
Special Session at Conference Room “A” at 9:00 a.m. and at 9:50 a.m. the meeting moved to the
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County Commission Chambers, 1840 25 Street, Vero Beach, Florida, on Friday, April 15, 2005.
The meeting was called regarding the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Present were
Chairman Thomas S. Lowther, Vice Chairman Arthur R. Neuberger, Commissioners Sandra L.
Bowden, Wesley S. Davis, and Gary C. Wheeler. Also present were County Administrator Joseph
A. Baird, County Attorney William G. Collins II, Executive Aide to the Board Kimberly Massung,
and Deputy Clerk Patricia Ridgely.
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Lowther called the meeting to order in Conference Room “A” at 9:00 a.m.
and welcomed everyone.
2. INVOCATION
Public Works Director Jim Davis delivered the Invocation.
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Chairman Lowther led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
4. ADDITIONS/DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA/EMERGENCY
ITEMS
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There were no additions or deletions to this agenda.
5. EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER (EOC) REVIEW
County Administrator Baird thanked everyone for coming and observed that the
room was a lot cooler and less crowded than it had been during the aftermath of both Hurricanes
Frances and Jeanne. He thanked the agencies and staff for their tremendous efforts during our
hurricane experiences last year. He noted the inadequate space but that will be corrected in the
new County Administration Building Complex.
Emergency Services Director John King explained that each Emergency Support
Function (ESF) desk in the EOC has a special mission and that each representative would make a
short presentation about their duties upon the EOC’s activation. Following the presentations, the
meeting would be moved to the Commission Chambers to talk about improvements.
Director King noted the three branches of government are legislative, executive, and
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judicial, with the 4 branch being emergency government. Emergency government allows many
activities to occur without following normal procedures. Prior to restoration of electricity, people
rely on government to provide essentials as well as public safety and services. Restoration of
electricity is a key to the resumption of more normal routines. He described the physical makeup
of the EOC; each ESF has a table and a function, two or more telephones and a laptop. There is
also a rumor control/public information section. He explained that Emergency Management
Coordinator Nathan McCollum and others gathered information from the EOC and gave two
media releases each day to keep the community informed. People who evacuated were able to get
information via the County’s web site.
Director King then advised of the procedures, both formal and informal, which take
place when a disaster occurs and the County’s resources need to be supplemented from the outside.
He listed and explained each of the required procedures that must be met in order for the County to
be eligible for funding assistance. (A copy of this part of his presentation is on file with the backup
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for this meeting in the Office of the Clerk to the Board.) He described the 3 types of declarations,
standard reimbursement rates, and authorities by statute.
Next a representative from each of the ESF desks explained their responsibilities in
the EOC.
Director King concluded the presentation and thanked everyone for their
participation and cooperation.
Chairman Lowther called a recess at 9:50 a.m. and asked everyone to move to the
Commission Chambers where he reconvened the meeting a 10:03 a.m. with the same staff present
except Assistant County Attorney Marian Fell sat in for County Attorney Will Collins who left the
meeting.
6. EOC DISCUSSION FOR SUGGESTIONS AND POLICY
RECOMMENDATIONS
Chairman Lowther called on County Administrator Baird to discuss improvements
to the County’s EOC.
County Administrator Baird believed that countywide the County’s employees, the
agencies and volunteers did a fabulous job dealing with these back-to-back hurricanes. There is no
doubt we need to improve our EOC facility and a purpose-built EOC will be in our new County
Administration Complex.
Director King pointed out the important job the Commissioners have in emergency
government because it is their responsibility to help the EOC team and to allocate the money
needed. He urged the Commissioners to support the hard decisions and announcements, many of
which are unpopular, such as a curfew and alcohol ban. He asked the Commissioners to discuss
problems and make suggestions toward solutions.
Chairman Lowther suggested discussing the 19 items individually.
April 15, 2005 3
Jerry Koziel, Transportation, ESF #1, advised that most everything went smoothly
with the transportation plan (school buses) and they were able to address problems as they arose.
Arrangements were made for fuel in advance on a suggestion from other districts. One situation
that needs to be addressed is signing up people for the special needs shelter so they are included in
early preparation and not left stranded.
Nate McCollum, Communications, ESF #2, advised of presentations to alert the
public regarding special needs. He credited amateur radio operators for obtaining valuable
information from the Bahamas regarding both hurricanes. Our 800 MHZ communication system
worked well although cell phone communication failed. The cellular providers are taking action to
correct the problems encountered.
Commissioner Davis appreciated Christian 92 FM radio for broadcasting the media
announcements to inform local residents.
It was noted that attempts were made to get other local radio stations into the
program.
Director Jim Davis, Public Works, ESF#3, has been evaluating their performance.
He suggested a concerted effort must be made to secure construction sites before the storm. Fuel
and other Public Works’ material needs must be addressed before a storm or brought in
immediately afterward. Debris pickup and flooding were major issues. If we had gotten the 10
inches of rainfall predicted, flooding would have been much worse. Better mapping of private
roads is needed to aid the outside assistance workers. We need additional structural engineers to
come in right after the storm to inspect bridges and buildings. We need to be able to control traffic
exiting the county after a storm. It would be wise to consider a ban on alcohol prior to the storm
since evacuations are taking place. He stated he has a 10-page list of suggestions (not provided to
the Clerk) including such items as replacement traffic signals as we lost 178 out of 178 to the
storms.
Discussion ensued on the mast-mounted traffic signals, other roadway issues, and
debris collection problems.
April 15, 2005 4
With regard to heavy equipment for debris pickup, Director Davis advised that they
did well after the first storm but the equipment and staff were stressed due to the enormity and
duration of the cleanup effort that went on for several months with limited equipment. Hiring
independent contractors and setting up two staging sites helped. He suggested an ordinance be
adopted to allow emergency pickup in private subdivisions for public health and safety. If that is
regulated by ordinance FEMA will reimburse the costs. Using local providers and resources puts
money in the pockets of local people and that is good for the economy.
Discussion ensued concerning prompt payment for those local providers and the
need for up-to-date road mapping.
Concerns were expressed regarding the slow response from FPL and the need for
them to respond more quickly to our county.
There was also discussion on evacuation and length of time it took to reach
destinations thought to be out of hurricane range. We are growing and it is going to get worse. It
was noted that the Governor is the only authority who can enact the plan for reverse highways.
(Clerk’s Note: Commissioner Neuberger left the meeting at approximately 10:30 for
another appointment.
Fire Chief Ernie McCloud, Firefighting, ESF#4, recounted the difficulties
encountered by the Fire Department because of the stations sustaining damage. Fortunately new
stations are already in process and moving full steam ahead. The buildings need to be able to
withstand major storms, be hooked into sewers, and have generators to run the entire station for at
least 7 days. Previous hurricanes were 3-day events, but we found from Hurricane Frances that our
planning was not sufficient for 5 days and the stations had to be re-supplied with food, water, and
other supplies. Our facilities were our largest problems.
Discussion followed concerning the status of the fire stations and possible grants.
Nate McCollum, Information & Planning, ESF #5, spoke about the drawbacks of
using Conference Room A as the EOC and the 8 to 12 hours it takes to set up the room for active
use for emergencies. He also spoke about the food and water distribution sites as well as staging
April 15, 2005 5
sites for non-local utility repair personnel. Many of these concerns are being addressed by the
State and should be available for planning at our county level.
Gardner Brown, Mass Care, ESF #6, noted the American Red Cross had to respond
to 4 hurricane events in Florida last year. He complimented Mr. McCollum, Administrator Baird
and Director King as “having it together;” while other counties were not as well prepared. He also
noted the demand for MREs (meals ready to eat) throughout the entire nation from the hurricane
and other emergencies, as well as the military stationed in the Middle East. He believed future
pre-staging of Federal resources would be improved.
At Commissioner Davis’ suggestion, there was discussion about having potable
water available at the County’s parks for emergency distribution.
Mr. McCollum, Resource Support, ESF #7, reported that our Purchasing Division
was overwhelmed. The loss of their warehouse made their procurement task even more difficult
because they were not prepared to move to another location.
Miranda Swanson, Public Health, ESF #8, has been making plans to improve public
health operations. They now have a new special needs data base and can share it. They are
working through the State to set up contracts for additional health providers. They needed
additional respiratory therapists as well as additional health-care teams that came in after the
second storm. Demobilization of the special needs shelter took longer than originally anticipated
and the Department of Elder Affairs came in to help with discharge placement.
Dale Justice, Urban Search & Rescue, ESF #9, believed his people were able to
draw upon their experience from other disasters to which they had been dispatched. He made two
recommendations regarding the EOC. First, every ESF chair needs to have backup
decision-making personnel. Second, logistics were often a problem; that is, getting supplies from
point A to B, and for that he suggested a dedicated logistics or resources ESF position to avoid
duplication of effort.
Discussion occurred regarding duplication of efforts with regard to search and
rescue and building inspections for which a standard marking or identification system was needed.
April 15, 2005 6
Cheryl Dunn, Hazardous Materials, ESF #10, recommended the County address in
the future the power issue because electricity in mobile home parks was not restored for weeks and
that negatively affected the park’s water supplies and sewer treatment facilities. In the future,
portable facilities will be deployed to those areas. Malfunction of lift stations was also
encountered so generators will be ordered through a tracker system along with other remedies for
problems that may arise after lengthy power outages. As each day went by, more difficulties arose.
Eric Olson, Energy & Utilities, ESF #12, recommended the need to coordinate more
with the City of Vero Beach by having an operational member in the EOC area. There were some
areas, such as the hospital, that encountered water pressure problems and the County’s system
operates differently from the City’s with respect to valves. He also recommended headphones for
the ESF telephones. He reviewed the new generators to keep facilities operational, the need for
spare parts in coordination with the City to loan back and forth, and improving the already good
relationship with the City. Staff is working on other issues such as moving fuel tankers and
generators.
In response to Commissioner Davis, Director Olson recounted the problems
encountered by Rockridge residents and the steps being taken to remedy the sewage system
(replacing with a vacuum system), specifying that each house will have its own lift station. This
will be a yearlong project. They have replaced a lot of the service panels in Rockridge and will
have generator power there in case this happens again.
Discussion continued on the importance of having generators for lift stations
particularly in large developments. Also discussed were preparations in anticipation of storm
surge.
(Clerk’s Note: There was no representation at the meeting from Military Support,
ESF #13.)
Mr. McCollum, Public Information, ESF #14, noted that e-mail to all entities within
100 miles has been found to be a good system for mass communication. We have a contract with
Christian FM for emergency communications and can cut in on their frequency at any time on the
radio. Press conferences are also conducted and we are able to feed newscasts to every station that
April 15, 2005 7
wants to run them. He has learned that most stations do not want to take the 20-30-minute press
conference but we will be meeting with them in May for their input. The information is available
to all who want it and Christian FM makes it available to their local listeners. He found great
cooperation within the media groups. He noted that Christian FM used a backup generator and
they worked in about 10-12 inches of water keeping that generator going. They did lose it during
the 120 mph wind and actually lost transmission for 2-3 hours at the height of the storm. Their
radio equipment and ours are the same and we can switch to their station when needed.
Mr. McCollum, Volunteers & Donations, ESF #15, continued that the volunteer list
was coordinated with our Human Resources Department and we were working with regional
agencies for donations.
Sheriff Roy Raymond, Law Enforcement, ESF #16, speaking on Law Enforcement
believed that everything went well thanks to the cooperation between the various law enforcement
agencies. It was a learning experience and taught us to expect the unexpected. Their building was
considered a “fortress” and they certainly did not expect to lose the roof. They learned they have
to be able to move and be self-sufficient. He pointed to the need to address creation of housing for
emergency workers coming into the county because we had problems housing them. They also
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learned that feeding emergency workers was a big problem, especially by the 3 and 4 days. He
recommended a standardized special access pass and a determination of who has authority to issue
them. He also recommended addressing the issue of people not being able to return to their homes
on the barrier island. He felt there is a need to get people back to their homes, or the property
managers, and the municipal officials. There was plenty of security on the barrier island. He
recommended a means for communicating with clerks and secretaries to call them back to work
when telephones, pagers, and cell phones are not reliable. He also looked for better coordination
and communication through ESF #16 to aid in communicating with all agencies. He understood
there was pressure from the public to lift the alcohol ban. He responded to questions about tent
housing on the Fairgrounds after the wind was not an issue.
County Administrator Baird specified that he had received a lot of input about the
alcohol ban and opening the barrier island access earlier. We should be able to open the island
April 15, 2005 8
earlier next time. He suggested everyone keeping in mind that with the alcohol ban and curfew,
we had no fatalities. He agreed a little different policy on passes to the island is necessary.
Nancy Errett, Animal Care, ESF #17, stated that the only problem her division
experienced was their paging system went down. Although their paging system failed, they did
have radio communication. With the new Humane Society shelter and additional space they were
able to house more dogs and cats and the Humane Society of the United States deployed people to
help with distribution of pet food at distribution centers.
Brian Burkeen, Special Needs Care, ESF #18, enumerated issues needing to be
addressed and items to be acquired for future storms. They need a system for emergency power in
the facilities to provide fresh or cool air for all the people inside. He recommended going to local
providers for water and medical supplies and not relying on state or federal provisions. He stated
there was a need for refrigeration for a temporary morgue and suggested a refrigerated semi trailer
for dual purpose to store perishables and use later as needed, as well as an after-care plan for the
special needs individuals (who may have nowhere to go) when the facility is reopened for school
use. The ultimate goal would be to build a facility for that special need, perhaps to a regional
shelter in Orlando. They have revamped plans because of the lessons learned from Hurricanes
Frances and Jeanne.
Discussion ensued regarding special needs of hospitals, assisted living facilities,
nursing homes, portable air conditioning units, and funeral homes.
Brian Burkeen, Emergency Medical Services, ESF #19, recommended finding a
way to get more people to assist EMS in special needs service tasks. The EMS vehicles
experienced flat tires and their drivers experienced difficulties finding locations because street
signs were gone everywhere. Some street signs are still missing due to short supplies.
Discussion brought suggestions for tires that do not go flat and the accuracy of
technology through GPS (global positioning system) units now available over-the-counter.
Director King noted that GPS units would be expensive, and Director Davis advised
that over 20,000 street signs were lost and he has ordered replacements with more wind resistance.
April 15, 2005 9
Chairman Lowther expressed his appreciation for everyone coming together for this
meeting so we can begin implementation and get everyone on the same page with
communications. Chairman Lowther said he believes our County is ahead of other counties and
credited County Administrator Baird for his efforts and heading up the great team he put together.
Mr. McCollum advised that the Governor’s Hurricane Conference will be held in
Tampa in a couple of weeks which will get into the technical aspects on the state level.
Commissioner Davis expressed his appreciation to Chairman Lowther for calling
this meeting for everyone to see how operations were conducted and to gather suggestions for
improvements in the future.
Commissioner Wheeler believed that this proves Indian River County is on the
cutting edge of many things. Staff has done what was expected of them and done a great job. It
has happened over and over again. He added that we are blessed by what we have here.
County Administrator Baird thanked all the employees and everyone for their great
support and for coming together to get us through the hurricanes of last year without a death or
severe injury.
7. ADJOURNMENT - 12:14 PM.
There was no further business, on Motion duly made, seconded and carried, the
meeting was adjourned at 12:14 p.m.
April 15, 2005 10
ALL BACKUP DOCUMENTATION, RESOLUTIONS, AND ORDINANCES ARE ON FILE IN THE OFFICE OF
THE CLERK TO THE BOARD AND ARE HEREBY MADE A PART OF THESE MINUTES
ATTEST:
_________________________________ ________________________________
Jeffrey K. Barton, Clerk Thomas S. Lowther, Chairman
Minutes Approved: _________________
BCC/PR/2005 Minutes
April 15, 2005 11