Carper, FEMA, DEMA officials tour Sussex EOC
The Sussex County Emergency Operations Center near Georgetown served as the backdrop to a July 21 press conference hosted by U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, which was also attended by county, state and federal emergency management officials.
The theme was emergency preparedness for storms, especially during hurricane season.
Sussex County EOC Director Joe Thomas said residents need to be prepared for all storm events, speaking specifically about recent extreme flooding events in Greenwood and the April 1 tornado that claimed the life of a man.
The EOC becomes the command center during disasters, he said.
“This is the hub where we coordinate all resources,” he said.
In the large room filled with the most up-to-date communications technology and large TV screens, representatives from many agencies, such as Delaware Department of Transportation, Delaware State Police and American Red Cross, gather during emergencies.
Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell said hurricanes are not just coastal storms, and it's not just wind to be concerned with, but also rainfall and storm surge.
“We are having impacts in areas we have never had them before,” she said.
She said federal and local officials provide the information during storms to help keep families safe. But it's incumbent on families to have emergency plans and supplies. “FEMA is here to support state and local jurisdictions,” she said.
Carper said he has never seen the extreme weather events that have occurred this summer, including record-breaking temperatures in the United States and around the world.
He said one solution to attack global warming is to reduce the carbon footprint by eliminating carbon emissions, adding the main polluters are vehicles, power plants and manufacturing plants. “We can't just tackle one industry, we must do them all,” he said.
Carper is a major proponent of electric vehicles. He said Chevrolet CEO Mary Barra told him her company is all in to build electric cars, trucks, pickups and buses.
But, he said, there are three things that must happen to make electric vehicles more attractive to the public: 1. 300-mile range on a charge; 2. charging in minutes, not hours; and 3. more charging stations throughout the country.
“Everything mentioned creates good jobs. We can save the planet and also create economic opportunities,” he said.
Delaware Emergency Management Agency Director A.J. Schall said the frequency of storms is increasing. He said residents should check on their home insurance, renters should make sure they have insurance and everyone should heed the warnings of emergency officials. All families should have an evacuation plan, check on plans to reach family members and make a plan to take care of pets.
Evacuation information is available at dema.delaware.gov.
The EOC also houses Sussex County and Delaware State Police 911 dispatchers for unincorporated areas and every city except Rehoboth Beach, which has its own 911 dispatchers.
Thomas said dispatchers handle 125,000 calls per year and dispatch 100,000 of those calls. He said the county offers Smart911, which includes a profile of callers, and PulsePoint, which provides access to residents who know CPR who can help in an emergency before emergency medical technicians and paramedics arrive.
