CHAPTER 3: TEAM CHATHAM

 

 

CEMA is not alone when it comes to preparing and responding in times of emergency. Every department of Chatham County Government has its COOP, or Continuity Of Operations Plan. It may seem as if time stands still when a storm knocks out the power for air conditioning and internet in your home, but time and obligations do continue for government services. Bills must be paid, laws must be upheld, animals must be cared for, and residents must be kept informed. Many departments have expanded plans for the stewardship and deployment of their human and capital resources.

Public Works, for instance, regularly has team members with a range of skills and authorities on call for any after-hours need. Before storms like Debby, the Public Works team goes into high gear, optimizing storm drainage and relocating valuable equipment and vehicles to protect them from damage. Non-critical equipment, such as trash compactors, mowing tractors, and street sweepers are taken to areas well away from wind and storm surges. Critical equipment that will be used in disaster response is also mobilized to areas safe from the storm but quickly accessible once the threat has passed.

 

The entire Public Works team activates as part of the County’s Critical Work Force, expanding services before, during, and after an emergency. Canal and ditch maintenance, street clearing and debris removal, sign replacement and repairs, and fuel distribution are some of the usual ways that Public Works helps keep our community safe and operational when severe weather impacts our area. They are also often called upon for special assignments throughout emergency events. For the latest storm, Public Works team members helped save the day – or actually the night – coming in to load and deliver 155 tons of Aggregate Road Base when County and municipalities cooperatively mobilized to build a temporary road overnight to give some relief to a large flood-isolated neighborhood.

 

Team Chatham members all take the phrase “and other services as required” to heart.  Mosquito Control is always busy in the warm wet Georgia coast, and after big rains they’ll be especially busy knocking down the clouds of insects that erupt after storm clouds move on.  But Mosquito Control also served by stepping up to provide small mountains of sand for sandbags for Chatham residents to protect their homes and businesses before the rains came.  And after the rains, Mosquito Control helicopters flew over the floods, capturing video to document the impact of the storm. 

 

Chatham County’s Engineering Department took to the skies, too.  Their drone pilots can fly more often and at lower altitudes, allowing them to relay current information on impassable roads or residents in need of rescue.  Engineering’s GIS specialists formulated detailed maps of every impacted area, allowing the EOC to provide the most up-to-date intel as needed.  Engineering leadership served as Section Chief for the Transportation ESF, coordinating with DOT, GA Port Authority, CAT, as well.  

 

Chatham’s entire Project Management team was also staffing the EOC around the clock, serving as section chiefs and assisting with Phone Operations.  Team Chatham members from many different departments, such as the Courts, Human Resources, Finance, and other administrative teams, have always provided the calm voices and the knowledgeable assistance that callers receive when they reach out to the CEMA phone lines at any time of day or night.   Team Chatham members with special skills help the Public Information team staff the Joint Information Center to proactively disseminate useful or even vital information to the public.  Other Team Chatham members work tirelessly with CEMA staff to connect residents to the human services agencies that can best assist them with their needs.

 

 

Out in the field, Chatham’s Marine Patrol and Fire Department were doing heroic duty as the swift water rescue teams.  When rising waters encroached on people and pets in their homes, or when rushing waters swept them off the roadways in their cars, Team Chatham came to the rescue.  Port Wentworth and Pooler fire departments assisted with rescues as well, and Chatham County’s Police Department also went out into flooded areas to bring food and supplies to residents in water-locked neighborhoods.  Beyond these crucial efforts, the rescue team also conducted numerous welfare checks, going from house to house, asking residents about their well-being, whether they planned to stay, and gathering important information. 

 

Chatham County’s Animal Services (CCAS) was out there, too, providing care and shelter options for pets, so that flooded residents could have one less worry.  CCAS officers provided transportation to the animal shelter for their staff, so that crucial animal care duties like cleaning, providing food and water, and administering necessary medications could continue unabated.  Officers then deployed to the field to take over care for animals being brought out of flood waters by the rescue teams.  Pets were given safe shelter at the Animal Services facility, cared for at no cost to the owners, alleviating that financial anxiety for them.   

 

 

Simultaneously, Animal Services team members mobilized to support the pet-friendly shelter for families that needed or wanted to shelter together with their pets. CCAS officers assessed the available space for the safety and comfort of pets and then transported their emergency trailer to the site.  Four-legged shelter guests found kennels, blankets, toys and treats along with food, water, bowls, leashes, muzzles and poop bags ready and waiting at the pet-friendly family shelter on Cynthia Street.  Throughout the activation, Animal Services staff checked in often to ensure that animals and their owners had necessary care as well as access to future resources.  Chatham County Animal Services is committed to providing support or providing shelter to care for animals until owners can safely go home with their pets, regardless of how long that might take. 

 

It is too common to say it takes a village, but it’s true.  The people of Team Chatham left their own homes to stand in the gap for the people of Chatham County.  With so many individual team members doing all the things that they could do, CEMA and Chatham County could – and did – do so much for so many. 

 

Continue reading:

Chapter 4: Partnerships