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BEING WITH US HERE TODAY IN JEFFERSON PARISH FOR OUR HURRICANE PREP PRESS CONFERENCE.I'M GLAD TO HAVE SHARI WITH THE DEAF ACTION CENTER, UM, HERE WITH US.
UM, AND I DO HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE BEHIND ME WHO ARE GONNA SPEAK AND TAKE THE PODIUM.
SO RATHER THAN INTRODUCE EVERYBODY, WE'LL INTRODUCE THEM AS THEY COME UP, AND IT, IT, THESE PEOPLE REPRESENT, UM, OTHER AGENCIES, UH, THAT YOU'RE GONNA NEED IF, IF WE DO HAVE A STORM, UH, YOU'RE GONNA NEED UPDATES FROM AS WELL AS OUR OWN DEPARTMENT.
SO, UM, I WANNA ALSO INTRODUCE MAYOR BILL ROBERT BT FROM WESTWEGO.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.
UH, TODAY IS JUNE 1ST, AND IT MARKS THE START, THE OFFICIAL START OF HURRICANE SEASON.
SO WE SHOULD ALL HAVE WEATHER, UH, WEATHER PREPAREDNESS, AND ALL OF THIS TOP OF MIND, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE WITH YOU TODAY.
UM, I WANNA ASSURE YOU FIRST THAT WHILE IT IS THE OFFICIAL START OF HURRICANE SEASON DURING THE OFF SEASON, WE AS A PARISH HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY BUSY PREPARING FOR THIS TIME.
SO WE'VE GONE THROUGH TRAININGS AND DISCUSSIONS AND THE TWO THEMES THROUGHOUT ALL OF THE MEETINGS WE'VE HAD, ALL OF THE TRAINING SESSIONS WE'VE HAD, ANYTIME WE GET TOGETHER, KIND OF TWO THEMES THAT WE HAVE LEARNED AND AND ARE THREADED THROUGH EVERYTHING WE DO.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, THE POST-KATRINA MODELS THAT WE WERE ALL SO USED TO ARE OBSOLETE.
UM, THESE STORMS ARE COMING AT US, THEY'RE APPROACHING US MORE FREQUENTLY.
THEY'RE RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING WITH THEIR SPEED, AND THEY'RE JUST ARRIVING AT OUR SHORES MORE QUICKLY.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE HAVE GOT TO ALTER OUR TIMELINES.
WE HAVE GOT TO ALTER OUR PROCESSES AND BE AS FLEXIBLE AS POSSIBLE TO AS MUCH TIME AS WE HAVE, AND BE ABLE TO CHANGE THOSE SCENARIOS WITH WHAT'S GIVEN US.
AND THAT HAS BEEN A THREAD THROUGHOUT EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN DOING IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
UM, IN GENERAL, WHAT THAT MEANS FOR US IS THAT WE HAVE LESS LEAD TIME TO PREPARE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'LL GO BACK TO IDA, WHAT, WHAT WE LIVE THROUGH, UH, WEDNESDAY AFTER, UH, COUNCIL MEETING, SARAH, UH, REMEMBER WE WERE IN THE HALL.
SARAH TOLD ME THERE'S A STORM BREWING.
UM, AT THAT TIME, WEDNESDAY NIGHT WHEN I WENT TO BED, ALL SPAGHETTI MODELS WERE GOING TO TEXAS BY THURSDAY.
THAT HIT, THAT AREA, HAD INCREASED FROM HOUSTON TO MOBILE OVER FOUR STATES BY FRIDAY WHEN I WAS IN THIS BUILDING AND WENT FROM A CATEGORY TWO TO A CATEGORY FOUR, SATURDAY WAS OUR LAST DAY TO WORK, AND WE WERE ALL HUNKERED DOWN BY SUNDAY.
THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME, UM, TO DO WHAT WE WOULD IDEALLY LIKE TO DO FOR OUR PEOPLE, FOR OUR CITIZENS, FOR OUR BUSINESSES DURING THE STORM.
THAT IS THE MODEL WE'RE WORKING ON NOW.
THAT IS THE WAY THESE STORMS HAVE BEEN.
OKAY? SO LESLIE, TIME FOR US MEANS LESS TIME FOR YOU, WHICH MEANS MORE PREPAREDNESS ON YOUR PART IF YOU'RE A BUSINESS OR FOR YOUR FAMILY.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE SO MANY OF US, ALL PARISHES, MEDIA ARE REALLY STRESSING.
ALL RIGHT? SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN REALLY AGGRESSIVELY WORKING ON INTERNALLY, WE'VE UPDATED ALL OF OUR EMERGENCY PLANS.
WE'VE GONE DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT IN SAYING, IF THIS SCENARIO HAPPENS, THIS DEPARTMENT HAS TO BE ENGAGED.
THEY NEED THIS TRAINING, THEY'RE GONNA STAY HERE.
THIS IS WHERE THEY'RE GONNA GET THEIR FOOD, THEIR WATER.
WE'VE GONE THROUGH ALL OF THOSE.
UM, OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM ALSO, WE'VE CONDUCTED A SERIES OF TABLETOP EXERCISES OVER THE YEARS TO, TO GIVE US DIFFERENT SCENARIOS IN HOW WE WOULD RESPOND.
UM, WE'VE PERFORMED SHELTER TRAINING.
WE'VE, WE'VE, WE KNOW THAT LIKE IN IDA, WE IMMEDIATELY HAD TO SHELTER PEOPLE FROM LAFE IMMEDIATELY.
UM, AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT KIND OF PARTNERS WE NEED TO BRING IN TO TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE.
SOME MAY BE WOUNDED, UH, BUT MAYBE DON'T NEED HOSPITAL.
UM, SO WE NEED, WE NEED TO DO THAT.
AND THEN LAST MONTH, WE, UM, EXECUTED AS WE DO EVERY YEAR, A PUBLIC ASSISTED EVACUATION EXERCISE, WHICH INCLUDED WHAT STAFF GOES TO HELP AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UM, THE HUMAN SERVICES AUTHORITY TO LOOK AT WHAT NEEDS THAT THEY'RE GONNA BRING TO THE TABLE.
UM, WE'VE ALSO MADE BIG INVESTMENTS HERE IN THE BUILDING THAT WE'RE IN HERE IN OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS BUILDING FOR JEFFERSON PARISH AND AUDIO VISUAL, ALSO SOME INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO EVEN HARDEN THIS BUILDING EVEN MORE.
AND THEN NEW THIS YEAR, WE'RE GONNA LAUNCH A MEDICAL NEEDS REGISTRY, AND I'M GONNA LET SARAH BABCOCK TALK ABOUT THAT WHEN SHE GETS UP TO SPEAK.
SO IF YOU'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT FOR EVERYBODY, BUT I'M GONNA GIVE HER THE DETAIL OF THE POPULATION.
WE WANNA KNOW HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU SO WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
WE'VE ALSO INVITED COX, AT AND T AND VERIZON UP WITH US THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTIVITY, WHAT IT MEANS.
I KNOW WE USED TO SAY, WHEN'S THE ELECTRICITY COMING BACK ON? BUT WE KNOW YOUR BUSINESS, UM, YOUR HAVING INTERNET SERVICES CRITICAL, ALL THOSE COMMUNICATIONS.
SO, UM, YOU'RE GONNA WANT UPDATES FROM THEM, AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE INCLUDED THEM THIS YEAR.
AND THEN WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT RIDING OUT A MAJOR STORM IS NEVER THE BEST OPTION.
WE KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE GENERATORS NOW, AND THEY'RE GONNA SAY, WELL, I CAN STAY HOME.
YOU HAVE GOT TO LOOK AT WHAT KIND OF STORM IS BEING PRESENTED TO US.
THAT IS THE REASON IF YOU, YOU LEAVE OR GO, NOT THE FACT THAT YOU'VE INVESTED IN A GENERATOR.
OKAY? SO, UM, YOU NEED TO CREATE AN EVACUATION PLAN FOR YOUR FAMILY.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR ME? I HAVE TO WORK LIKE EVERYBODY HERE IN THE ROOM.
LIKE YOU ALL, WE HAVE TO WORK.
MY KIDS HAVE TO COME HOME FROM WHEREVER THEY ARE EARLY.
I'M GONNA CALL MY AUNT AND UNCLE, SEE WHERE THEY ARE.
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MY BEST FRIEND USUALLY LIKES TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING.I KNOW THE STEPS THAT I HAVE TO DO WITHOUT THOUGHT, WITHOUT EMOTION.
YOU NEED TO DO THAT IN YOUR HEAD, SPECIFICALLY.
SO WHEN THE STORM'S BREWING, ALL THE EMOTIONS ARE GONE AND YOU CAN JUST DO THE DRILL THAT, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT EMOTION.
SO WE HEAR A FAMILY PLAN, WHAT DOES IT MEAN? I PURCHASED DOG FOOD FOR MY DOG TO GET 'EM ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE SEASON.
I'M NOT GONNA HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT.
GET YOUR CAR IN WORKING ORDER ALL THE TASKS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO IF YOU WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE IN A COUPLE DAYS.
CAN YOU DO IT NOW AND NOT LOSE MONEY? ABSOLUTELY, YOU CAN DO IT NOW.
YOU CAN GO BUY THOSE PRESCRIPTIONS NOW, THEY'LL LAST.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE PART OF YOUR FAMILY PLAN.
GETTING THESE THINGS DONE EARLY AND BEING PREPARED IS VERY, VERY CRITICAL.
AND THOSE ARE THE INTERNAL THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING AS A DEPARTMENT.
OKAY? UM, OBVIOUSLY THE, THE WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE DRILL.
YOU CHECK IN WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS.
YOU'RE CHECKING WITH YOUR, YOU KNOW, ELDERLY PEOPLE AND YOUR FAMILY.
YOU PREPARE A GO KITT WITH YOUR PERSONAL ITEMS. YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WATER, HOW MUCH FOOD YOU'RE GONNA NEED IF YOU'RE GONNA HUNKER DOWN AT HOME, OR IF YOU'RE GONNA GET IN THE CAR FOR A LONG TIME.
YOUR IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS, YOUR EXTRA CLOTHES, FIRST AID KITS, AS I SAID, MEDICATIONS, LIST OF EMERGENCY CONTACTS.
UM, MAKE SURE YOUR CAR'S IN WORKING ORDER.
NOW'S THE TIME TO GET THAT DONE.
ALSO LIKE TO STRESS THAT WE HAVE MANY PEOPLE STILL IN TRAILERS FROM IDA, FROM THE TORNADOES IN DECEMBER.
OVER A HUNDRED FAMILIES WE STILL HAVE IN TRAILERS.
EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT IN THE PATH OF THAT STORM, UM, THE WINDS, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THE STORM'S JUST NOT HITTING US AND WE'RE, THE WINDS CAN BE DEVASTATING IN THAT KIND OF HOUSING.
YOU CANNOT RIDE THAT OUT IN THAT KIND OF HOUSING.
UM, AND YOU'RE MUCH MORE VULNERABLE IF YOU'RE IN A TRAILER, UH, RIGHT NOW.
I WANNA TALK BRIEFLY, UM, ABOUT SOMETHING THAT ISN'T NORMALLY PART OF THIS PRESS CONFERENCE.
IT'S THE INSURANCE CRISIS THAT WE'RE IN NOW THAT LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME AND THE YEARS BEFORE, WE WEREN'T DEALING WITH.
UM, WE KNOW THAT MANY INSURANCE COMPANIES HAVE LEFT THE STATE AND MANY OF US, INCLUDING MYSELF, HAD TO QUICKLY WHERE WE WERE DROPPED.
THEY'RE NOT WRITING IN THE STATE ANYMORE.
MANY OF US ARE IN THIS CRISIS.
SO MUCH SO THAT OUR LEGISLATORS HAD A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO DEAL WITH THIS SITUATION.
A LOT OF THAT'S BEING HANDLED AT THE STATE.
THERE'S INCENTIVE PROGRAMS THAT THEY PASSED TO LURE NEW COMPANIES TO OUR STATE.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO WRITE HERE.
UH, THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO BUSINESS HERE.
SO WE WANNA MAKE OURSELVES AS A STATE, AS ATTRACTIVE AS POSSIBLE TO GET, UM, TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AS MANY OPTIONS AS POSSIBLE FOR INSURANCE COMPANIES.
WE DO HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY AT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION TO SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
ONE OF THE THINGS INSURANCE COMPANIES WANNA KNOW IS THE, THE, WHAT THE HOUSING STOCK LOOKS LIKE.
THEY LOOK AT, THEY DO THEIR ASSESSMENT AND THE AGE OF THE ROOF.
HOW DO YOU KNOW THE AGE OF THE ROOF? THEY HAVE TO RELY ON WHAT PEOPLE TELL THEM.
IF WE DON'T PERMIT IT, THEY DON'T HAVE THE DATA.
JEFFERSON PARISH ONLY PERMITS NEW ROOFS.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY DATA WE HAVE IS NEW ROOFS.
WHAT THE, THE HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION IS GETTING BEHIND, AND I I I THINK IT'S SIMILAR TO THE WHOLE STATE.
THEY WANT US TO START PERMITTING ANY KIND OF ROOF REPAIRS.
IF IT'S OVER 50%, NOW WE HAVE OFFICIAL DATA, OKAY? WE KNOW THIS IS GONNA BE VERY, YOU KNOW, ON OUR PART, UM, WE WERE WAITING FOR SOME STATE LEGISLATION TO GET APPROVED.
WE UNDERSTAND IF WE DO THIS, IT'S GONNA BE CRITICAL TO MAKE OURSELVES MORE ATTRACTIVE TO OUR INSURANCE COMPANIES.
BUT WE COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT WE DO NOT WANT TO HALT OR SLOW RESTORATION EFFORTS BY PEOPLE WAITING FOR, UH, A BUILDING PERMIT FOR THEIR ROOF.
SO THIS IS WHAT WE'LL BE WORKING ON.
YOU NEED TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH US, THE LEGISLATIONS GET JUST AT THE STATE.
WE'RE GONNA COME BACK, WE'RE GONNA ASK THE COUNCIL AS, AS WE STUDY IT SOME MORE, WE'RE GONNA ASK THE COUNCIL TO PASS SOME LOCAL LEGISLATION.
WE'RE BEING WORK, WE'RE WORKING ON THIS NOW.
SO JUST, I WANT YOU TO KNOW, STAY TUNED FOR THAT IF YOU NEED TO.
AND WE FIND OURSELVES IN A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE TO DO A LOT OF ROOF REPAIRS, JUST STAY IN TOUCH WITH US.
WE'LL HAVE SOME NEW UPDATES BEFORE THAT HAPPENS.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
UM, ALSO JUST A REMINDER THAT WE KEEP SAYING THIS, THE MOST DEATHS THAT WE HAD FOR IDA WERE POST STORM.
WE SEE THAT TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
THE MOST DANGEROUS TIME IS POST STORM.
UM, WE HAD ONE DEATH DURING IDA AND THEN SIX MORE POST STORM.
SO PLEASE MAKE SURE THE DOWN POWER LINES, THE HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES, UM, DUE TO NO ELECTRICITY, UM, THE IMPROPER GENERATOR USE, THESE ARE ALL VERY, YOU KNOW, VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS.
AND THAT'S AFTER THE STORM HAS PASSED.
SO, IN CLOSING, I'M GONNA INVITE ALL THE PEOPLE HERE UP TO THE PODIUM SO THEY CAN, UM, THEY CAN GIVE YOU THE UPDATES ON WHAT THEIR DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES HAVE BEEN DOING TO PREPARE FOR THIS TIME.
UM, AND WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF IT COMES, THAT THERE'S A STORM BREWING AND WE ARE GONNA NEED TO TAKE ACTION.
YOU PAY ATTENTION OBVIOUSLY TO YOUR LOCAL OFFICIALS AND YOUR LOCAL MEDIA.
UM, AND WE ARE VERY, UH, MAKE SURE YOU GET ON OUR ALERT.
AGAIN, TEXT JP ALERT TO 8 8 8 77 7 FOR OUR SPANISH SPEAK.
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NOTICIAS TO 8 8 8 70 77.GRETCHEN AND OUR ON OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE TEAM DOES A GREAT JOB AT MAKING SURE WE'RE ON ALL SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS, THE WEBSITE, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE.
AND WE JUST WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
AND AFTER WE GET THROUGH, UM, ALL OF THIS, WE'LL, WE'LL CERTAINLY STAY FOR QUESTIONS.
SO WITH THAT, THE NEXT PEOPLE I'M GONNA CALL UP ARE OUR DEPARTMENTS, UM, OUR DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, JOE VALIANTE, AND OUR CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT OVER A LOT OF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES.
THANK YOU, MADAME PRESIDENT, AND GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
SO, AS THE PARISH PRESIDENT ALLUDED, ALLUDED TO, WE COMPLETELY OVERHAULED OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN.
IT HAS BEEN COMPLETELY UPDATED AND ALL 45 DEPARTMENTS WITHIN JEFFERSON PARISH PARTICIPATED WITHIN THAT OVERHAUL.
UM, IT TOOK US ABOUT A YEAR TO ACTUALLY GET IT DONE.
AND, UH, WE THINK WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD PRODUCT NOW THAT'S UPDATED AND IT ADDRESSES THE CURRENT CHALLENGES THAT JEFFERSON PARISH HAS.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALSO CREATED WAS A HURRICANE ANNEX.
AND WITHIN THAT ANNEX, THE PARISH PRESIDENT ALLUDED TO WAS THAT WE HAVE SCENARIOS NOW FOR SHORT POP UP STORMS THAT BLOW UP INTO A HURRICANE AND THEN TAKE OFF FOR THE COAST.
RIGHT NOW IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE THAT HAS DEVELOPED IN THE GULF.
IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT IT'S GONNA HAVE THE CORRECT CONDITIONS TO INTENSIFY, BUT THE POINT IS, IF IT DID AND IT STARTED TO MOVE OUR WAY, WE HAVE NOW MORE OPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESCRIPTED OUT.
AND THIS ALLOWS US TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO THE SPECIAL NEEDS, WHICH SARAH IS GOING TO EXPOUND ON.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE DID WAS THAT WE INCREASED OUR FUEL CAPACITY TO KEEP OUR WET FLEET MOVING, WHICH IS IMPORTANT CAUSE OUR WET FLEET IS WHAT MOVES ALL OUR RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL AROUND POST STORM.
REMEMBER, JEFFERSON PARISH KEEPS 700 ESSENTIAL DUTY EMPLOYEES BEHIND.
AND SO, UH, WE HIT, WE HIT THE GROUND RUNNING THE DAY AFTER THE STORM.
SO WE WENT FROM 6,000 GALLONS IN OUR, WE IN OUR STORAGE CAPACITY TO 30,000 GALLONS OF FUEL.
AND THAT ALLOWS US TO KEEP ALL SIX JEFFERSON PARISH, UH, SERVICE STATIONS UP AND RUNNING 24 7.
UH, WE CUT IT REAL CLOSE TO AN IDA.
WE WERE DAY 14 AND WE WERE ALMOST RUNNING OUT OF FUEL.
CAUSE YOU KNOW, THAT SCENARIO, WE LOST IT TO REFINERIES THAT PRODUCED GASOLINE IN LOUISIANA.
AND SO IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TRYING TO GET THAT GAS FROM OUTSIDE OF THE STATE.
WE ALSO HAVE CONTRACTS THOUGH, WITH REFINERIES OUTSIDE OF LOUISIANA NOW.
SO IN THE EVENT THAT WE DO GET CAUGHT ON A SHORTAGE, WE CAN BRING IN FUEL FROM THE OUTSIDE.
UH, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WE NOTICED WAS POWER.
WE INCREASED OUR GENERATOR CAPACITY AND THAT INCLUDES OUR FIVE SHELTERS THAT WE NOW HAVE.
AND THOSE ARE PRE-STAGED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE HURRICANE SEASON SO THAT IF A STORM IS COMING, WE KNOW THAT THOSE SHELTERS THAT, THAT ARE DESIGNATED THAT MAY HAVE TO BE PUT PUT INTO ACTION, THEY WILL HAVE THE GENERATOR POWER AND THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT GO WITH THAT.
IN TERMS OF SHOWERS AND BATHROOMS, ADDITIONAL BATHROOMS. CURRENTLY WE HAVE 150 FEMA TRAILERS THAT ARE OCCUPIED BY JEFFERSON PARISH CITIZENS.
AND THIS IS IMPORTANT, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, THOSE TRAILERS ARE NOT DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS OR EVEN TROPICAL FORCE WINDS.
SIX MONTHS AFTER IDA IN LAE, WE HAD A TRAILER THAT WAS TOPPLED OVER BY A STRONG LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS AND THE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS EXCEEDED 60 MILES AN HOUR AND FLIPPED THE TRAILER OVER.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD INDIVIDUALS TRY TO RIDE OUT A STORM IN A TRAILER OR A MOBILE HOME.
WE DETERMINED THAT AFTER IDA, ONLY 30% OF THE CITIZENS EVACUATED THAT LEFT US WITH 70% OF THE CITIZENS HAD STAYED.
THIS REALLY SLOWS DOWN OUR POST DAMAGE ASSESSMENT AND RECOVERY AND IT DELAYS IT TREMENDOUSLY.
WE LOST OVER 129 SIGNAL LIGHTS.
IT TOOK US AT LEAST FOUR TO FIVE DAYS TO GET ALL THOSE FOUR-WAY STOP SIGNS, UH, PLACED AT THE MAJOR INTERSECTIONS THAT REMOVED ALL THE, UH, LIGHTS THAT WERE, UH, OBSTRUCTING THE ROADWAYS.
IF WE HAVE 50,000 CARS DRIVING AROUND WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO AFFECT THAT RECOVERY, IT
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DOESN'T HELP US AT ALL.UM, ANOTHER THING THAT I WANNA MENTION ABOUT TRYING TO RIDE OUT A STORM, THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER.
THIS YEAR WE WENT TO A SEMINAR AND THERE WAS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO BROUGHT UP A REALLY GOOD POINT WHO SAID, IF YOU LOSE TWO OUT OF THESE THREE THINGS, TWO OUT OF THESE THREE POWER STORAGE OR WATER YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF TOWN.
IF YOU LOSE TWO OUT OF THOSE THREE POWER SURGE OR WATER YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF TOWN.
IT'S GONNA BE A VERY DIFFICULT PLACE TO STAY IN.
GASOLINE IS GONNA BE DIFFICULT TO GET TO.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE FOR THE GROCERY STORES TO OPEN AGAIN.
AND THAT INCLUDES THE MEDICAL PART OF THIS.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY DOCTORS' OFFICES ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO REOPEN AND HOW QUICKLY, PARTICULARLY, PARTICULARLY IF WE LOST POWER LIKE WE DID IN ITEM.
UH, ANOTHER THING THAT I WANT EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER WAS REALLY ADAMANT ABOUT, THE BEST PRACTICE IS TO START DEEMPHASIZING THE ACO, DEEMPHASIZED THE AONE, AND START LOOKING AT THE WARNINGS, THE WARNINGS ALONG THE COASTS CUZ THESE HURRICANES, LIKE THE PARISH PRESIDENT INDICATED, WAS GOING TO TEXAS ONE DAY, WAS GOING TO ALABAMA THE NEXT DAY, AND IT, AND IT HIT US.
SO HAD YOU BEEN WORRIED ABOUT THOSE WARNING SIGNS, THOSE WARNING GRAPHICS, YOU WOULD'VE HAD A MUCH BETTER IDEA IN TERMS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF WHAT YOUR DECISIONS SHOULD BE.
IF THEY ISSUE A WATCH ADVISORY, THAT SHOULD BE A TRIGGER TO PREPARE.
IF THEY ISSUE A WARNING, THAT SHOULD ISSUE A TRIGGER BASED ON YOUR PREPARATION OF THE PRIOR, UH, UH, UH, WATCH TO EVACUATE.
SO RESEARCH INDICATES THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO PLAN AHEAD, WHO HAVE A SMALL KIT AVAILABLE ARE LIKE 80% MORE LIKELY TO EVACUATE CUZ THEY'RE ALREADY READY, THEY'RE ALREADY SET TO GO.
SO THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
LAST THING I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS CONTRAFLOW.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND THAT CONTRAFLOW IS A MECHANISM OF LAST RESORT.
WE CANNOT INITIATE CONTRAFLOW EARLY BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR THAT AIR TIME FROM AGE 72 TO AGE 30 IS WE'RE BRINGING IN RESOURCES TO THE PARISH THAT'S COMING FROM THE STATE, COMING FROM OTHER PARISHES, AND IN SOME CASES FEDERAL ASSETS, THE NATIONAL GUARD, WE SIMPLY CAN'T BLOCK THAT INGRESS UNTIL AGE 30 OR SOMETIMES AGE 20.
BUT AT THAT POINT, IT'S REALLY TOO LATE FOR YOU TO GET ON THE INTERSTATE AND GET CAUGHT IN ALL THAT TRAFFIC.
SO YOU HAVE TO HEAT OUR WARNINGS WHEN WE ISSUE AN EVACUATION WARNING.
YOU HAVE TO HEAT IT, YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED AND YOU HAVE TO LEAVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. VACO.
UM, AS YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD SAID BEFORE ME, WE ARE LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR SCENARIOS AND HOW DO WE MOVE PEOPLE OUT QUICKLY? HOW DO WE SHORTEN OUR EVACUATION TIMELINES? BUT ALSO WHAT HAPPENS IF WE GET STUCK IN A SITUATION WHERE WE CAN'T, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO GET EVERYONE OUT PRIOR TO A STORM.
AND IN THAT CIRCUMSTANCE, WE WILL PRIORITIZE PEOPLE WHO ARE MEDICALLY VULNERABLE.
AND SO TODAY WE ARE ANNOUNCING AN UPDATED MEDICAL NEEDS REGISTRY FOR JEFFERSON PARISH.
THIS IS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LIVING AT HOME, NOT FOR NURSING HOME RESIDENTS AND ASSISTED LIVING RESIDENTS.
YOU WILL NEED TO EVACUATE WITH YOUR OWN FACILITY, BUT FOR INDIVIDUALS LIVING AT HOME WITH SEVERE MEDICAL NEEDS, YOU'RE BEDRIDDEN AND YOU CANNOT SIT UP FOR MORE THAN FOUR HOURS AT A TIME.
YOU ARE ON, UM, MULTIPLE MEDICAL DEVICES, UM, AND THAT YOU'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE FEEDING TUBES, VENTILATORS, SUCTION MACHINES, UM, IF YOU ARE ON AN OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR 24 HOURS A DAY, THINGS LIKE THAT, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KNOW ABOUT YOU AHEAD OF TIME SO THAT WE CAN MAKE PLANS.
IT'S NOT A GUARANTEE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET YOU OUT FOR EVERY STORM, BUT BY KNOWING WHO YOU ARE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO BETTER PREPARE IN THE EVENT.
YOU CAN GO TO JEFF PARRISH.NET/JP AWARE.
WE HAVE A NEW HURRICANE DASHBOARD ON THERE, AND UNDER THE EVACUATION PIECE, YOU WILL FIND THE LINK TO COMPLETE THE REGISTRATION FORM.
WE PREFER THAT YOU SIGN UP ONLINE, BUT IF YOU NEED TO CALL IN AND HAVE SOMEONE ASSIST YOU, YOU CAN CALL 5 0 4 3 2 3 1 8 1 8 AND LEAVE A MESSAGE AND WE WILL GET BACK TO YOU AND FILL OUT THAT FORM WITH YOU.
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A NEW VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, THE JEFFERSON PARISH MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS.THE MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS IS A NATIONAL PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO RECRUIT VOLUNTEERS TO ASSIST IN THINGS LIKE PANDEMICS LIKE WE HAD IN COVID 19 OR OTHER DISASTERS SUCH AS A HURRICANE.
AND SO, UM, FOLLOWING COVID 19 AND HURRICANE IDA, IT'S REALLY SHOWN US THAT WE HAVE A GAP WHERE WE NEED TO HAVE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE ASSIST US, UM, WITH SKILL SETS THAT WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE EMPLOYEES, UM, WHO HAVE THOSE SKILL SETS.
AND SO, UM, ANYONE CAN OVER THE AGE OF 18 CAN VOLUNTEER, BUT WE'RE SPECIFICALLY RECRUITING PEOPLE WITH MEDICAL, MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BACKGROUNDS, SOCIAL WORKERS, MEMBER OF THE CLERGY, UM, AND OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, VOLUNTEERS WHO WOULD BE ABLE TO ASSIST IN SHELTERING EVACUATIONS, UM, REGULAR FLU DRIVE CAMPAIGNS AND, AND OTHER EMERGENCIES WITH US.
YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION IN SIGNUP@JEFFPARRISH.NET SLASH PUBLIC HEALTH.
FINALLY, HURRICANES USING CAN BRING A LOT OF FEARS AND ANXIETY, PARTICULARLY IF YOU WERE IMPACTED BY A HURRICANE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, IF YOU'RE STILL LIVING IN A TRAILER AND REALLY UNCERTAIN ABOUT WHAT TO DO.
SO IF YOU NEED MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT, YOU CAN CALL THE LOUISIANA KEEP CALM LINE AT +1 866-310-7977 OR CALL TWO 11 TO FIND A LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER.
I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UM, MAYOR TIM KERNER FROM LAE FOR JOINING US TODAY.
OKAY, NEXT WE'LL HAVE OUR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, MARK DREWS, ALONG WITH OUR DIRECTOR OF DRAINAGE, BEN LAINE.
I'M HERE TO SAY THAT PUBLIC WORKS IS READY AND THE REASON WE'RE READY IS CUZ OF OUR PRIME ASSET, WHICH IS OUR EMPLOYEES.
WE CAN ACTIVATE 700 PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES TO RESPOND TO A SIGNIFICANT STORM EVENT.
UH, THEY'VE ALL ALMOST ALL BEEN THROUGH HURRICANE IDA.
A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF THOSE EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN HERE THROUGH KATRINA AND MULTIPLE EMERGENCY EVENTS.
THESE ARE THE SAME EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE BEEN TESTING OUR GENERATORS, OUR PORTABLE PUMPS, AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL OUR FACILITIES ARE READY TO GO.
NOW, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THOSE FACILITIES, OUR WATER TREATMENT PLANTS, ONE ON THE EAST BANK AND WEST BANK, BOTH HAVE SAFE HOUSES.
SO IF WE HAVE A CATEGORY FOUR OR FIVE STORM, OUR EMPLOYEES CAN GO INTO THOSE SAFE HOUSES AND STILL OPERATE THOSE PLANTS THROUGHOUT THE STORM AND AFTER, IN ADDITION, THEY HAVE BACKUP GENERATORS THAT CAN RUN THE ENTIRE PLANT AT EACH ONE WITH A FIVE DAY SUPPLY DIESEL FUEL.
SO WE CAN WITHSTAND AN EXTENDED ENERGY OUTAGE.
UH, SIMILARLY OUR SEWER TREATMENT PLANTS.
WE HAVE ONE MAIN ONE ON THE EAST BANK.
WE HAVE THREE ON THE WEST BANK AND ONE ON LA FEET.
ALSO ALL HAVE BACKUP GENERATORS TO RUN THE PLANTS WITH A FIVE DAY SUPPLY OF DIESEL FUEL ON HAND.
IN ADDITION, WE HAVE 20 PORTABLE PUMPS, 15 PORTABLE GENERATORS THAT WE CAN DEPLOY IMMEDIATELY, UH, TO OUR LIFT STATIONS TO KEEP THOSE GOING.
UH, AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY THROUGH EMERGENCY CONTRACTS TO BRING IN ADDITIONAL PUMPS AND GENERATORS AND VACUUM TRUCKS.
IF WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE IDA, WHERE WE HAD A BASICALLY A PAR WIDE ENERGY OUTAGE.
UH, WITH REGARD TO OUR STREETS AND OUR TRAFFIC DIVISIONS, THEY HAVE THE EQUIPMENT AND MANPOWER TO IMMEDIATELY RESPOND TO START CLEARING ROADWAYS IMMEDIATELY, UH, TO PUT OUT BARRICADES FOR ANY AREA WE DEEM IS DANGEROUS AND SHOULDN'T BE TRAVELED UPON.
UH, SIMILARLY, OUR PARKWAYS DEPARTMENT HAS THE EQUIPMENT AND MANPOWER TO IMMEDIATELY START CUTTING TREES PROVIDED THEY'RE NOT TANGLED IN ENERGY POWER LINES.
AND AGAIN, WE HAVE EMERGENCY CONTRACTS IN PLACE TO BRING ON ADDITIONAL HELP FOR THOSE TWO TASKS.
UH, WITH THAT SAID, THAT LEAH'S JUST THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
I'M GONNA TURN THAT OVER TO BEN LAPINE.
DRAINAGE DEPARTMENT IS PREPARED AND READY FOR HURRICANE SEASON.
WE INSPECT ALL OUR FACILITIES AND TEST ALL OUR PUMPS AND GENERATORS ON A WEEKLY BASIS AND WE, WE TREAT EVERY CLOGGED CATCH BASIN AND CANAL BANK FAILURE AND MECHANICAL ISSUE ALL YEAR LONG AS AN EMERGENCY TO, TO ENSURE WE'RE STORM READY, 365 DAYS A YEAR.
WE MAINTAIN 340 MILES OF OPEN CANALS, 1,460 MILES OF SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE AND 7 83 PUMP STATIONS, WHICH OPERATE 194 PUMPS.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE 193 PUMPS OPERATIONAL WITH ONE PUMP OUT AT THE BAIG NET PUMP STATION.
DUE TO A MECHANICAL FAILURE, IT'S EXPECTED TO BE REPAIRED BY MID-JULY AND WE DO HAVE REDUNDANCY AT THAT PUMP STATION SO WE CAN ENSURE WE CAN MEET OUR DESIGN STANDARDS.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE 14 SAFE ROOMS WHERE PUMP STATION OPERATORS CAN SAFELY OCCUPY AND REMOTELY MONITOR AND OPERATE THE PUMP STATIONS THROUGH ANY CATEGORY STORM EVENT.
LASTLY, REGARDING PUBLIC OUTREACH, WE KNOW PROPER DRAINAGE STARTS AT THE CATCH BASINS IN FRONT OF YOUR HOMES AND BUSINESSES.
AND WITH MORE THAN 80,000 CATCH BASINS, PARISH ONE,
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ANY HELP FROM RESIDENTS TO KEEP THESE CLEAR FROM DEBRIS, WE'LL ENSURE WE GET THE MOST OUT OF OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEM.UM, NEXT WE'RE GONNA HAVE ATMOS ENERGY.
UM, LEAH, OBI ENERGY, YOU KNOW HIM WELL, PATRICK HAMBY, AS WELL AS OUR PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER ERIC SCR.
UM, AGNES ENERGY CONTINUES TO MONITOR AND PREPARE FOR HURRICANE SEASON.
WE WANT YOU GUYS AND YOUR FAMILIES TO ALWAYS BE SAFE IF YOUR HOME OR YOUR BUSINESS IS AFFECTED BY FLOODING, HURRICANES, OR SIMILAR EVENT, PLEASE BE AWARE OF THESE NATURAL GAS SAFETY TIPS DURING SEVERE WEATHER DURING A NATURAL GAS UM, EMERGENCY.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS ARE NOT TURNING OFF THE GAS AT YOUR METERS YOURSELF.
UM, ALWAYS MAKE SURE TO REACH OUT AND CALL AN ATMOS, UM, ENERGY PROFESSIONAL WHO CAN ASSIST YOU WITH THOSE THINGS.
UM, AND THAT NUMBER IS GOING TO BE 1 8 6 6 1 8 6 6 3 2 2 8 6 6 7.
KNOW WHERE YOUR NATURAL GAS METER IS LOCATED, MAKE SURE IT'S VISIBLE AND FREE OF TRASH AND DEBRIS.
MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT USED TO CLEAN UP AFTER A STORM MAY DAMAGE THE METER.
IF IT IS HIDDEN ATMOS ENERGY, CUSTOMERS EXPERIENCING A NATURAL GAS OUTAGE OR A SERVICE INTERRUPTION SHOULD CONTACT US AT OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER, WHICH IS 1 8 8 8 2 8 6 6 7 0 0.
AND WE ALSO WANT TO REMIND OUR SPANISH SPEAKING CUSTOMERS THAT WE HAVE BILINGUAL CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENTS WHO ARE EAGER TO HELP AND CAN ASSIST THEM IF NEED BE.
AFTER A STORM AND IT IS DEEMED SAFE, WE WILL COME OUT TO RESTORE SERVICE OR BEGIN WORKING ON SERVICE.
OUR EMPLOYEES ARE GOING TO BE IN CONTACT WITH OUR LOCAL OCS AS WELL AS IF IT IS DEEMED NECESSARY, WE WILL HAVE, UM, EXTRA SUPPORT COMING FROM TEXAS AND MISSISSIPPI.
UM, SO CUSTOMERS WILL BE RESTORED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE ONCE THE AREA IS DEEMED TO BE SAFE.
PATRICK CANBY, ON BEHALF OF ENERGY, LOUISIANA, UH, WE, WE PREPARE AT ENERGY FOR SEVERE WEATHER YEAR ROUND.
YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S PROACTIVE PREPARATION OR REACTIVE, YOU KNOW, TO STORMS THAT POP UP, THUNDERSTORMS, ICE STORMS, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, IT'S A 24 7, UH, PREPARATION IN LIFESTYLE, IF YOU WILL, FOR ENERGY EMPLOYEES.
UH, 2020 2021 EVERYBODY KNOWS WAS VERY ACTIVE.
IT'S EVIDENT, AS MANY HAVE SAID, THE SEVERE WEATHER IS COMING MORE FREQUENTLY AND MORE INTENSE, BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER, EVEN IF THERE'S A LOW FORECAST FOR THIS YEAR'S HURRICANE SEASON, IT ONLY TAKES ONE TO HIT THE RIGHT SPOT.
YOU KNOW, WE ADAPT TO THESE TYPES OF EVENTS.
WE DO HAVE SEVERE WEATHER, UH, SUCH AS ICE STORMS THAT CAN AFFECT OUR GAS SUPPLY THAT SUPPLIES POWER TO OUR POWER STATIONS, OUR GENERATORS.
SO WE'VE ADAPTED TO THAT AS WELL.
WE HAVE TORNADOES, WHICH ARE UNPREDICTABLE.
NONETHELESS, THOUGH WE HAVE SPED UP OUR RESPONSE TIMES TO THOSE, AND WE'VE HAD QUITE A FEW HERE RECENTLY THAT IN THE PAST WE'RE NOT A THING, BUT THEY'RE HERE NOW.
SO WE'VE ADAPTED TO THAT AS WELL.
WHAT WE DO, UH, WE HAVE BASICALLY THREE COLUMNS OR THREE TIERS, IF YOU WILL, AND IT'S IN A SEQUENTIAL ORDER OF HOW WE DELIVER POWER TO YOU.
IT'S OUR GENERATION POWER PLANTS.
SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY INSPECTING THEM, MAKING SURE THEY'RE RUNNING RIGHT.
THAT'S BASICALLY THE ENGINE OF THE CAR.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT RUNNING, YOU HAVE NO ELECTRONS, YOU HAVE NO ELECTRICITY GOING OUT TO THE CUSTOMERS FROM THE GENERATION POWER PLANTS, WE HAVE OUR TRANSMISSION FACILITY.
THOSE ARE OUR HIGH VOLTAGE LINES, SO WE'RE ALWAYS INSPECTING THOSE, MAKING SURE THAT THE ELECTRICITY CAN GET DOWN TO WHAT ARE THE DISTRIBUTION LINES WHICH SERVE THE SMALL BUSINESSES, THE NEIGHBORHOODS, PLACES LIKE WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
WE ALSO CONSTANTLY CLEAR VEGETATION THAT'S BOTH FROM OUR TRANSMISSION HIGH VOLTAGE LINES, AND THE ONES IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS SOMETIMES ARE IN THE BACK OF THE YARD, WHICH ARE HARDER TO GET TO.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE WE HAVE RIGHT OF WAY AGREEMENTS IN PLACE SO WE CANNOT TRIM OUTSIDE OF WHATEVER THAT STATED RIGHT OF, UH, CLEARANCES.
SO WE DO HAVE LIMITATIONS THERE, AND EVERYONE HAS SAID THIS BEFORE.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR OWN PLAN TO HELP YOU PREPARE AND TO MAKE A PLAN AND DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE GOING TO STAY.
WE HAVE, UH, SOME ESTIMATES, AND I'D LIKE TO CAVEAT THESE ESTIMATES.
THIS IS THE ESTIMATED RESTORATION TIMES FOR THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES.
YOU DON'T KNOW IF THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE IN THE MOST DANGEROUS, HEAVY, HARD HIT ZONE.
YOU MAY NOT LOSE POWER, YOU MAY BE RESTORED THE FIRST DAY.
NONETHELESS, THESE ARE SOME ESTIMATES TO HELP YOU PREPARE FOR A CATEGORY.
ONE 70% OF CUSTOMERS SHOULD BE RESTORED IN TWO TO THREE DAYS.
WORST CASE SCENARIO WILL BE SEVEN DAYS.
CATEGORY TWO, THAT 70% RESTORATION WILL BE FOUR TO SEVEN DAYS.
THE HARDEST HIT AREAS COULD BE UP TO
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10 DAYS.CATEGORY THREE, 70% AND SIX TO NINE DAYS.
FOR CATEGORY FOUR, THAT 70% RESTORATION TIMEFRAME IS SEVEN TO 11 DAYS.
WITH THE HARDEST HIT AREAS BEING UP TO AROUND 21 DAYS.
WE HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED A CATEGORY FIVE.
HOWEVER, WE BELIEVE IF IT DOES COME, WE CAN HAVE ABOUT 50% OF AFFECTED CUSTOMERS RESTORED IN 14 DAYS, AND THEN THE REMAINDER WOULD BE AT LEAST A MONTH OR MORE.
SO VISIT OUR ENERGY STORM CENTER.COM SITE FOR PREPARATION PLANS, OUR RESTORATION PROCESSES IN MUCH, MUCH MORE INFORMATION.
AND AS ALWAYS, PREPARE FOR THE WORST, BUT HOPE FOR THE BEST AND STAY SAFE.
AND THANK YOU MADAM PRESIDENT.
UM, I'M ERIC S SCTA, THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER FOR DISTRICT ONE, SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA, COMPRISING BASICALLY THE 10 PARISHES ALL OF PART OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA.
FIRST, I WANT TO TELL YOU WHAT WE'VE DONE TO IMPROVE RESILIENCY IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND FROM OUR DIRECTIVES TO, UH, ENERGY IN SINCE HURRICANE IDA.
UH, WHAT WE HAVE IN THE GENERIC IS ABOUT 30,000 NEW POLES HAVE BEEN PUT DOWN SINCE HURRICANE IDA.
THOSE HAVE BEEN REPLACED, UH, OLDER POLES THAT WERE KNOCKED DOWN AND NEEDED TO BE CHANGED OUT AND HAVE BEEN PUT IN WITH A MORE DURABLE, UH, UTILITY POLES THAT CAN WITHSTAND, UH, MORE HIGH FREE HIGHER, UH, VELOCITY WINDS.
THE SECOND THING THAT WE'VE DONE IS IMPROVE THE TRANSMISSION TOWER SITUATION WHERE WE LOST A MAJOR TRANSMISSION TOWER BETWEEN BRIDGE CITY AND HARAHAN, LOUISIANA.
THAT NEW TRANSMISSION TOWER IS NEARLY 500 FEET TALL.
IT WEIGHS OVER 600,000 POUNDS AND IT HAS A MUCH HIGHER WIND RESILIENCE THAN THE PREVIOUS TRANSMISSION TOWERS.
AND I SUGGEST THAT IF YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE YOUR CAMERAS OUT THERE AND TAKE A LOOK AT THIS STRUCTURE, YOU WILL FIND IT TO BE, UH, INCREDIBLE AND MASSIVE AND A REAL FEAT OF ENGINEERING THAT SHOULD SERVE THE PUBLIC FOR A LONG TIME TO COME.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S, UH, VERY IMPORTANT FOR JEFFERSON PARISH IS THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE IN GRAND ISLE.
GRANDIAL HAS BEEN A CONTINUAL ISSUE SIMPLY BECAUSE IT'S ON THE, THE FIRST STAGE OF IMPACT OF STORMS TO THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE PARISH WHERE WE HAVE HAD, UH, UH, CONTINUAL DAMAGE WHEN WE HAD A RING OF STORMS IN THE 21 CYCLE WHERE WE HAD TO CONTINUALLY IMPROVE THINGS.
SO WE HAVE HAD ENERGY DO UNDERGROUND TRANSMISSION, UNDERGROUND, UH, DISTRIBUTION IN SOME PART.
WE HAVE HAD THE, UH, SUBSTATION THERE MOVE TO ABOUT 20 FEET ABOVE, UH, LEVEL.
WE'VE ALSO MADE THE TRANSMISSION THROUGH KAO PASS OVER TOWARDS, UH, THE, UH, THE PORT GO UNDERWATER.
SO WHAT WE HOPE FOR IS A GREATER RESILIENCE AND DURABILITY FOR THE STORM.
AT THE PEAK IMPACT ZONE, AS WE KNOW THAT WE MOVE BACK FROM THE COAST, WILL GO FROM A PEAK IMPACT OF MAYBE 160 TO 150 MILES AN HOUR.
BY THE TIME IT GETS UP TO JEFFERSON PARISH, WE'RE LOOKING IN THE A HUNDRED TO 110 MILE AN HOUR MAX CAPACITY IMPACT.
SO AS WE MOVE BACK, WE'RE HOPING FOR A REDUCTION IN THAT.
AND SO THE COMMISSION IS WORKING DILIGENTLY TO FIND MORE WAYS FOR NOT JUST ENERGY, BUT FOR, UH, CLECO AND THE CO-OPS IN THE, IN OUR ZONE TO IMPROVE THE RESILIENCY AND THE ABILITY TO BOUNCE BACK.
UH, AND SINCE YOUR, UH, CAMERAS REACH MORE THAN JUST JEFFERSON PARISH WANT TO SAY THAT WE ALSO WORK WITH CLECO, WASHINGTON STATE TAMMANY CO-OP, THEN DEMCO CO-OP TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR TEAMS NOT ONLY PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR THEMSELVES, BUT THEIR ABILITY TO INTERACT WITH THE OTHER CO-OPS AND OTHER INVESTOR OWN UTILITIES SO THEY CAN RESPOND PROPERLY TO THE STORMS AND ALSO BUILD THEIR RESILIENCE AS LONG AS WELL AS THEIR OWN PLANS.
BUT THE PLANS THAT THE COMMISSION IS DEVELOPING TO IMPROVE THE ABILITY TO RESPOND AND REACT AND RECOVER.
AND I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU A VERY QUICK, UH, STORY ABOUT, UH, AN ELEMENT THAT WE FACED IN HURRICANE IDA.
UH, WHEN WE LOST A NUMBER OF TRANSMISSION LINES, UH, INTO, UH, THE METRO AREA.
UH, I SAT DOWN WITH UH, CLECO AND I SAT DOWN WITH ENERGY AND WE HAD A PROBLEM BECAUSE WE HAD A BLACK START MOMENT.
BLACK START MEANS WE LOST ALL POWER.
UM, THIS IS TO SHOW YOU THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, THE COMMISSION WORKING WITH THE UTILITIES AND FINDING SOLUTIONS.
WE ACTIVATED ESSENTIALLY A TABLETOP EXERCISE, BECAME A TABLETOP SOLUTION, AND WE REACHED OUT TO THE CONNECTIONS WE MAKE NATIONALLY AND REACHED OUT TO THE SOUTHERN COMPANIES TO THE EAST OF OUR DISTRICT.
AND WE BUILT IN A TRANSMISSION LINE INTERCONNECT THROUGH CLECO IN, THROUGH THE NEW ORLEANS NEW POWER PLANT, USED IT AS A SWITCH AND BROUGHT THAT POWER LAYER BY LAYER FROM EAST TO WEST AND RESTORED THE POWER IN SECTIONS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T TURN IT ALL ON BACK AT ONCE CUZ YOU'LL BLOW OUT THE SYSTEM.
BUT IF YOU NOTICED AT THAT MOMENT, AT THAT EIGHT DAY MARK, WE STARTED GETTING REGULAR INTRODUCTION OF POWER INTO
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THE SYSTEM.AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS STATEMENT TO YOU IS IT SHOWS YOU THE ABILITY OF THESE COMPANIES WITH THE INTERACTION OF THE GOVERNMENT AND HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER AND IMPROVE THE SOLUTIONS TO HOW WE GET THE POWER BACK TO THE PUBLIC ON THIS.
AND THAT WAS A MAJOR STEP IN SOLUTION ON HOW WE FIX THE HURRICANE IDA PROGRAM.
SO I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT WE WILL BE, UH, ENGAGED FULLY WITH THESE COMPANIES.
UH, AND WE DEMAND A LOT OF RESERVES COME IN.
I THINK, UH, WE HAD ABOUT 18,000 OUTSIDE OF THE, UH, LOUISIANA, UH, LINE WORKERS CAME IN FROM IDA AND WE JUST GOT FINISHED AUTHORIZING PAYMENT TO THEM IN JANUARY, UH, BECAUSE THE COMPANIES PUT THIS MONEY UP FRONT AND THE COMMISSION FINDS THE WAY TO AUTHORIZE THE PAYMENT THROUGH BONDED MEASURES TO GET THEM PAID BACK.
BUT THE COMMISSION WILL STAND TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE FUNDS ARE, WE GET THESE PEOPLE IN HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESTORATION TAKES PLACE IN A SPEEDY FASHION, NOT JUST TO GET THE POWER BACK TO THE RESIDENTS, BUT TO MAKE THIS SURE THAT THE ECONOMY RUNS PROPERLY IN SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA.
OKAY, NEXT WE'RE GONNA, UM, HAVE OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, UM, FROM WHAT FOR OUR FIRE SERVICES REPRESENTED BY CHIEF DON ROBERTSON AND THEN JEFFERSON PARISH SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
JASON RAR IS ALSO HERE WITH US.
JEFFERSON PARISH FIRE SERVICES.
ALL JEFFERSON PARISH FIRE SERVICES ARE PREPARED FOR THE 2023 HURRICANE SEASON.
ALL DEPARTMENTS EQUIPMENT, SPECIALIZED RESCUE SQUADS, BOATS ARE ALL PLACED IN POSITION IF NEEDED DURING THIS HURRICANE SEASON.
AGAIN, BUT AS YOU HEARD, EVERYONE BEFORE ME SAY, AS WE PREPARE THE FIRE SERVICES, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, YOU NEED TO PREPARE ALSO.
THE FAMILIES HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN.
JUST LIKE THE PARISH PRESIDENT SAID, I HAVE TO STAY, MY FAMILY HAS TO LEAVE.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR PLAN AND IN PLACE.
WHAT I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY IS WHEN YOU GET INFORMATION FROM THE PARISH, THAT IS THE MOST UPDATED EQUIPMENT THAT YOU WILL HEAR.
IF SHE MAKES A REP, IF THE PARISH MAKES A RECOMMENDATION TO LEAVE, IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, LEAVE JEFFERSON PARISH BECAUSE AS OTHER PEOPLE SAID THIS MORNING, OKAY, THERE WILL BE TIMES THAT EMERGENCY SERVICES WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESPOND DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY OF THE STORM.
MR. HANLEY FROM ENERGY, HIS PEOPLE CAN'T GET UP IN BUCKETS AT A CERTAIN WIND SPEED.
WE CANNOT SEND OUR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS OUT IN THE WEATHER THAT WE HAD FOR A HURRICANE ITEM.
THAT WILL PREVENT US FROM DOING OUR JOB WHEN IT IS TIME FOR US TO GET OUT.
IN CLOSING, WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS, IS LIKE THE PARISH PRESIDENT SAID AGAIN, WE HAVE HAD TROUBLE AFTER THE STORM.
MYSELF AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF OUR PARTNERS ARE GONNA PRESENT THE GENERATOR'S SAFETY.
IF YOU ARE USING A PORTABLE GENERATOR, IT IS THE BASICS OF TELLING YOU HOW FAR IT GOES FROM YOUR IS TO BE PLACED FROM YOUR HOUSE AND WHERE IT SHOULDN'T BE, NOT IN YOUR GARAGE, EVEN THOUGH THE GARAGE DOORS IS OPEN.
DON'T PUT A FAN IN YOUR GARAGE AND THINK IT'S NOT GONNA LET CARBON CARBON MONOXIDE GET INTO YOUR HOUSE.
AND EVERY CHANCE THAT I HAVE, AND HOPEFULLY YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEE ME AGAIN BECAUSE WE HAVE A QUIETED HURRICANE SEASON, WE ARE GONNA ASK YOU IF YOU ARE GONNA STAY.
PLEASE HAVE A CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR IN YOUR RESIDENCE.
I STOPPED ON MY WORK THIS MORNING AT A LOCAL HOME IMPROVEMENT CENTER.
AND YOU CAN BUY A SIMPLE BATTERY OPERATED CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR FOR LESS THAN $20.
IN THIS BROCHURE, IT TELLS YOU THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE ONE ON EVERY LEVEL IN YOUR HOUSE, IN YOUR SLEEPING AREAS FOR $40.
IF YOU ARE GONNA STAY HERE, IF YOU LIVE IN A TWO-STORY HOUSE, YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR FAMILY TO LET YOU KNOW THERE'S A CARBON MONOXIDE LEAK FROM YOUR GENERATOR OR WHATEVER.
HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE A SAFE SEASON.
AND AGAIN, YOU WON'T HAVE TO HEAR FROM US.
OKAY, FROM OUR FLOOD PROTECTION AUTHORITIES, UM, THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF OUR SOUTHEASTS, LOUISIANA FLOOD PROTECTION AUTHORITY, WEST NICK CALLIE, AND THEN THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF THE FLOOD PROTECTION AUTHORITY, EAST KELLY CHANDLER.
UH, THE FLOOD PROTECTION AUTHORITY WEST MANAGES 80 MILES OF LEVEES, FLOOD WALLS AND FLOOD PROTECTION COMPONENTS ON A WEST
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BANK.UM, WE ARE FULLY PREPARED FOR THIS HURRICANE SEASON.
WE'VE INSPECTED AND EXERCISED EVERY COMPONENT OF THE SYSTEM.
WE'RE CONFIDENT IT'S GONNA WORK AS DESIGNED.
WE'VE PROVEN DURING HURRICANE IDA THAT THE SYSTEM CAN PERFORM EXACTLY AS DESIGNED AND TAKE ON THE 100 YEAR STORM.
SO WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE SAFE, HAVE A PLAN, AND PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR ELECTED LEADERS AS WE GO FORWARD.
I'M KELLY CHANDLER, THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF THE FLOOD PROTECTION AUTHORITY EAST.
UH, WE OPERATE AND MAINTAIN, UH, THE H HURRICANE AND STORM RISK REDUCTION SYSTEM ON THE EAST BANK IN JEFFERSON, ST.
IT CONSISTS OF 192 MILES OF LEVEES AND FLOOD WALLS, UM, 246 GATES, AND AN 1.8 MILE LONG STRETCH OF, UH, STORM SURGE WITH A OF A BARRIER.
UH, WE ARE READY FOR THE HURRICANE SEASON.
WE HAVE EXERCISED AND INSPECTED ALL OF OUR GATES.
WE HAVE COMPLETED OUR QUARTERLY AND ANNUAL INSPECTIONS OF ALL OF OUR LEVEES AND OUR FLOOD WALLS.
WE'RE READY FOR THE HURRICANE SEASON.
UM, I WANNA THANK ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT, UH, OPERATE AND MAINTAIN THAT SYSTEM ON A DAILY BASIS.
WITHOUT, WITHOUT THEM, WE, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE.
SO WE'RE READY FOR HURRICANE SEASON.
OKAY, NEXT WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, FROM COX, CHRISTINA, SORRY.
UH, AT AND T ERIC JONES FROM VERIZON, TRENT GRIGGS, AND THEN T-MOBILE.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING WITH US.
CHRISTINA SARIAH, DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS FOR COX COMMUNICATIONS.
WHEN SEVERE WEATHER HITS, WE KNOW THAT IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO STAY CONNECTED.
COX PREPARES FOR NATURAL AND MANMADE DISASTERS YEAR ROUND.
WE ALSO REFLECT ON LESSONS LEARNED TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR STORM RECOVERY PROCESS.
AS WITH EVERY STORM, OUR TOP PRIORITIES ARE THE SAFETY OF OUR EMPLOYEES IN RECONNECTING THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE.
IF OUR SERVICES ARE IMPACTED BY A HURRICANE COX SERVICE TECHNICIANS ARE MOBILIZED.
AS SOON AS CONDITIONS ALLOW TO LIMIT OUTAGES AND ENSURE SERVICES ARE RESTORED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
A TIMELY RESTORATION PERIOD IS ALWAYS OUR GOAL.
OUR SERVICES DEPEND ON COMMERCIAL POWER, SO WE OFTEN FOLLOW THE PATH OF POWER COMPANIES WHEN RESTORING OUR COX SERVICES.
WE ALSO PARTNER WITH CITY AND PARISH OFFICIALS TO PROVIDE TIMELY AND ACCURATE COMMUNICATIONS TO RESIDENTS AND OUR CUSTOMERS DURING THE RECOVERY PROCESS WITH EACH STORM.
COX ACTIVATES A DEDICATED HURRICANE INFORMATION HUB ON OUR WEBSITE, COX.COM, WHERE CUSTOMERS CAN ACCESS SAFETY TIPS, DETAILED FAQS AND SERVICE RESTORATION UPDATES.
WE ALSO SEND TEXTS AND EMAIL ALERTS TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
THE BEST WAY FOR OUR CUSTOMERS TO STAY UP TO DATE DURING THE STORM RECOVERY PROCESS IS TO SIGN UP FOR TEXT ALERTS ON COX.COM.
WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE PARISH AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS TO ENSURE WE ARE WELL PREPARED FOR THE 2023 HURRICANE SEASON.
GOOD MORNING, MADAM PRESIDENT.
UH, THANK YOU FOR COLLABORATING AND COORDINATING THIS IMPORTANT DISCUSSION.
I'M ERIC JONES, REGIONAL DIRECTOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS FOR AT AND T.
OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE SEEN REPEATED EXAMPLES OF THE VALUE IN COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR VARIOUS INTERNAL, STATE, LOCAL AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS.
IN THAT COLLABORATIVE, IN THAT COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED A LONG HISTORY OF INVESTED IN JEFFERSON PARISH AND THE STATE OF LOUISIANA.
I'LL TOUCH MORE ON THAT INVESTMENT HERE.
UH, BUT FIRST I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT WAYS THAT, UH, FAMILIES CAN BE PREPARED AS WELL AS WAYS THAT AT AND T IS PREPARED FOR NATIONAL DISASTERS.
FIRST, UH, KEEP YOUR MOBILE DEVICES CHARGED.
BACK UP IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND PROTECT VITAL DOCUMENTS.
HAVE A FAMILY COMMUNICATION PLAN, STORE EMERGENCY CONTACTS ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE.
FORWARD YOUR HOME NUMBER TO YOUR MOBILE NUMBER IN THE EVENT OF AN EVACUATION.
TRACK THE STORM ON MOBILE DEVICES.
IF YOU LOSE POWER AT YOUR HOME DURING A STORM, YOU CAN USE YOUR MOBILE DEVICE TO ACCESS LOCAL WEATHER REPORTS.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CAMERAS AND SMARTPHONES AND USE LOCATION-BASED TECHNOLOGY.
THESE SERVICE CAN HELP YOU FIND EVACUATION ROUTES AND TRACK LOST FAMILY MEMBERS VIA MOBILE PHONES.
HOW AT AND T IS PREPARED WHILE VIEWERS AT HOME DURING THAT TIME? AT AND T IS GOING TO BE HARD AT WORK WITH ITS OWN PREPARATION PLAN.
AT AND T IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING RELIABLE COMMUNICATION.
WE HAVE A TEAM OF METEOROLOGISTS WHO HELP MONITOR OUR NETWORK 24 7 AND CAN BE, UH, VALUABLE RESOURCES TO A DISASTER AREA.
WE HAVE THE, ONE OF THE, WE HAVE ONE OF THE INJUR STREET'S, LARGEST AND
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MOST ADVANCED DISASTER RESPONSE PROGRAMS TO HELP KEEP WIRELESS AND WATERLINE COMMUNICATION RUNNING DURING TIMES OF DISASTERS BEFORE HURRICANES.AT AND T TEAMS ARE BOOSTING NETWORK CAPACITY TO ACCOMMODATE INCREASED CALL VOLUMES.
WE TEST HIGH CAPACITY BACKUP BATTERIES LOCATED AT SALE TOWERS.
WE STAGE EXTENDED BATTERY LIFE IN PORTABLE GENERATORS AND MAINTAINED EXISTING FIXED GENERATORS.
WE TOP OFF ALL OUR GENERATORS TO ENSURE FUELS ARE AVAILABLE AT THOSE SITES.
WE STAGE ADDITIONAL GENERATORS IN SAFE LOCATIONS FOR IMMEDIATE DEPLOYMENT ONCE A STORM HAS PASSED AND WE EMBED EMPLOYEES, UH, AT EOCS AND LOCAL RESOURCES TO HELP IN THOSE, THOSE KINDS OF NEEDS.
OUR NATIONAL DISASTER TEAM MAINTAINS A STAGE, UH, OF FLEET OF EQUIPMENT AT MORE THAN 20 WAREHOUSES AND STAGES, YARDS, ALLOWING FOR A RAPID RESPONSE ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IN ENSURE OUR TEAM IS TRAINED, EXPERIENCED, AND PREPARED TO ACT SWIFTLY TO RETO TO RESPOND TO STORM EVENTS AND HELP RESTORE COMMUNITIES.
NOW BRIEFLY, I'LL TALK TOUCH ON SOME OF THE INVESTMENTS THAT THAT WE'VE MADE ACROSS THE STATE.
WE'VE INVESTED OVER 200 NEW TOWERS AND WE MADE OVER 1000 UPGRADES WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF THOSE UPGRADES BEING RIGHT HERE IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
UM, WE SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HARDENED OUR NETWORK TO THOSE, THOSE THOSE CRITICAL FIBER ROUTES TO ENSURE THAT, UH, OUR SERVICES ARE MORE RELIABLE DURING TIMES OF, OF, OF DISASTER.
AND FINALLY, I'LL SAY THAT WE'VE INVESTED, UH, HEAVILY IN JEFFERSON PARISH AND OUR FIBER NETWORKS, WHICH KEEPS OUR NETWORK MORE RELIABLE AND SAFE DURING TIMES OF DISASTERS.
WHETHER YOU HAVE COMMERCIAL POWER OR NOT, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME TODAY AND FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH EACH OF YOU MEMBERS.
GREGS A VERIZON RESPONSE MANAGER FOR LOUISIANA, ARKANSAS IN MISSISSIPPI.
HURRICANE SEASON IS HERE AND THE VERIZON TEAM IS WORKING TO ENSURE PEOPLE AND ASSETS ARE READY TO BE DEPLOYED AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE.
OUR ASSET RECOVERY EFFORTS ARE CRUCIAL TO COMMUNICATIONS LOCALLY.
VERIZON'S NETWORK WAS DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND EXTREME WEATHER AND DELIVER SUPERIOR SERVICES BY INCLUDING REDUNDANCY ON CRITICAL PATHS AND COMPONENTS TO AVOID POTENTIAL FAILURES WHICH COULD AFFECT CUSTOMERS.
THE USE OF BATTERY AND GENERATOR BACKUP SYSTEMS ARE IMPLEMENTED TO MINIMIZE THE RISK OF DISRUPTION IF COMMERCIAL POWER IS LOST.
LOCALLY, PORTABLE GENERATORS ARE STORED AS BACKUPS TO INSTALLED EQUIPMENT AT ALL.
AT ALL OF OUR NEARBY LOCATIONS, WE HAVE, WE HAVE TWO WITHIN 40 MILES OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
IF NETWORK RECOVERY BECOMES NECESSARY AFTER HURRICANE MAKES LANDFALL, VERIZON IS PREPARED TO QUICKLY RESPOND.
WE MAINTAIN A FLEET OF OVER 500 PORTABLE ASSETS, INCLUDING FULLY FUNCTIONAL MOBILE CELL SITES.
ALL OF ALL OF THESE MOBILE ASSETS ARE COMPLIMENTED BY OVER A THOUSAND PORTABLE GENERATORS AND A COMPREHENSIVE REFUELING PROGRAM.
VERIZON HAS MULTIPLE STRIKE TEAMS TO ASSIST WITH NETWORK RECOVERY AS WELL AS BOOTS ON THE GROUND COMMUNICATIONS EXPERTS TO HELP SERVE THE NEEDS OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY.
WE HAVE PEOPLE STATIONED IN LOCAL OCS AS WELL AS STATE OCS THAT ARE WORKING SPECIFICALLY WITH YOUR LOCAL LEADERS.
OUR TEAMS ARE ACTIVE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WITH DISASTER DRILLS AS WELL AS COMMUNITY EVENTS.
THE VERIZON FRONTLINE NETWORK IS SPECIFIC TO PUBLIC SAFETY TEAMS. IT OFFERS PRIORITY SERVICES DURING DISASTERS AS WELL AS PRODUCTS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO COMPLEMENT RESPONDING AGENCIES IN THE FIELD.
THE VERIZON FRONTLINE CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM ALSO STANDS READY TO HELP ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES GET MISSION CRITICAL COMMUNICATION CAPABILITIES NEEDED TO ACHIEVE THEIR MISSIONS.
THESE TEAMS RESTORE SERVICES WITH THE UTILIZATION OF FLYING DRONES, SATELLITE ASSETS, AND MANY OTHER FRONTLINE PRODUCTS THAT HELP DURING RESCUE EFFORTS FOR REMOTE LOCATIONS WHERE FIBER OR ENERGY MAY BE IMPACTED.
MY NAME IS NICOLE HUK AND I AM A DEPLOYMENT MANAGER WITH, UH, T-MOBILE'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM.
THANK YOU MADAME PRESIDENT FOR HAVING OUR FRIENDS AND OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS HERE TODAY TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT, UH, WHAT WE PLAN TO DO TO SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITIES THIS HURRICANE SEASON.
YOU KNOW, WE KNOW FOLLOWING A STORM OR A MAJOR DISASTER THAT COMMUNICATION IS CRITICAL.
PEOPLE NEED TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT TO THEIR LOVED ONES NEARBY AND FAR AWAY.
WE KNOW THAT FIRST RESPONDERS NEED SERVICE IN ORDER TO DELIVER CRUCIAL INFORMATION TO THEIR, UH, COMMUNITIES AND BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO, UH, THE IMPACTED REGION.
UH, WE ALSO KNOW THAT BUSINESSES
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PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN SUPPORTING THEIR COMMUNITIES.SO THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO REOPEN THEIR DOORS AND REESTABLISH THEIR OPERATIONS QUICKLY.
ALL OF THAT REQUIRES COMMUNICATIONS IN CONNECTIVITY.
AND SO FOR THAT, T-MOBILE STANDS READY TO SUPPORT JEFFERSON PARISH AND THE STATE OF LOUISIANA.
AND WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU.
BUT OUR SUPPORT DOESN'T END WHEN A HURRICANE FOLLOW, UH, PASSES THROUGH.
YOU KNOW, IN PAST YEARS IN FOLLOWING HURRICANE IAN, WE'VE PROVIDED LARGE GENERATORS.
UH, AFTER COMMERCIAL POWER HAS BEEN KNOCKED OUT, WE'VE LIT UP VIRTUAL LEARNING FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS FOLLOWING A HURRICANE.
AND FOR FIRST RESPONDERS IN PUBLIC SAFETY, WE'VE PROVIDED WIFI.
WE'VE BROUGHT IN PORTABLE INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS THOSE SATELLITE BACK HAULED CELL, UNLIKE TRUCKS WHILE WE CALL SHOLTS.
UM, AND OF COURSE WE'VE DONE THAT WHEN IT WAS SAFE TO DO SO, AND WE'VE PROVIDED THAT THROUGH THE RECOVERY PERIOD.
WE'VE ALSO SUPPORTED YOUR COMMUNITIES AT LOCAL SHELTERS AND COOLING CENTERS BY PROVIDING WIFI SERVICES AND DEVICE CHARGING CAPABILITIES AS WELL.
AND SO HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING THIS YEAR TO BE PREPARED AGAIN FOR HURRICANE SEASON.
UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE'VE BEEN CONDUCTING READINESS EXERCISES WITH OUR REGIONAL NETWORK AND OUR DISASTER RECOVERY TEAMS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR NETWORK'S BACKUP AND RESPONSE SYSTEMS ARE READY.
WE'VE EQUIPPED OUR NETWORK SWITCHES OUR POINTS OF PRESENCE AND KEY SITES WITH FIXED BACKUP GENERATORS AND WE COLLABORATE WITH OUR WEATHER FORECASTING PARTNERS, UH, TO TRACK A STORMS PATH AND ITS POTENTIAL SEVERITY.
AND FROM THERE WE CAN STAGE OUR MOBILE INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS THOSE PORTABLE CELL TOWERS AND THE SATELLITE BACK HAULED INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, TO BE CLOSER INTO THEATER AND READY TO QUICKLY DEPLOY AS SOON AS IT IS SAFE TO DO SO.
OUR NATIONAL OPERATIONS CENTERS ARE MONITORING AND MANAGING THE NETWORK, UH, TRAFFIC 24 7.
UH, WE'VE INCREASED ALSO THE SIZE OF OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE, HEAVY DUTY, UH, HEAVY DUTY VEHICLE FLEET TO INCLUDE MORE MOBILE COMMAND CENTERS, MORE, UH, UH, CHARGING TRAILERS, MORE WIFI TRAILERS, UH, TOW VEHICLES AND MORE.
AND FINALLY, OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAMS AT T-MOBILE ARE WORKING WITH YOUR EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTERS AND YOUR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO PROVIDE NETWORK SERVICES TO IMPLEMENT CONNECTIVITY AND TO IDENTIFY AREAS OF PRIORITY FOR RESTORATION WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITIES.
UH, WE DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU DOWNLOAD IMPORTANT APPS LIKE FEMA AND THE RED CROSS.
AND IF YOU ARE A T-MOBILE CUSTOMER AND ARE ON TWITTER, YOU CAN FOLLOW US AT T DASH MOBILE.
YOU CAN GET IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND ALERTS, UH, BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER A STORM.
AND I WANNA THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING, UH, T-MOBILE AND ALL OF US HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT OUR PLANS.
T-MOBILE'S NUMBER ONE CONCERN IS FOR THE SAFETY AND THE WELLBEING OF THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK WITH THAT WE CAN TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT ANYBODY HAS.
DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS? UH, YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT HOW YOU OVERHAULED YOUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN OVER THE PAST YEAR, UM, AND THE STORMS ARE COMING QUICKER, UM, RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING.
COULD YOU TALK ABOUT HOW YOUR THINKING WITH REGARD TO ISSUING MANDATORY AND VOLUNTARY EVACUATIONS HAS CHANGED? I THINK THAT'S WHAT I MEAN.
THE KEY IS THE FLEXIBILITY AND THAT WITH THE TABLETOP EXERCISES WE DID, WE WE CAME UP WITH SCENARIOS OF SEVERITY OF STORMS AND DIFFERENT, UM, DIFFERENT TIMEFRAMES THAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH.
I, I THINK THE KEY FOR US IS IT'S THE FLEXIBILITY.
EVERY STORM IS GONNA BE DIFFERENT AND WE JUST WANNA LOOK AT EVERY DIFFERENT FACTOR THAT AFFECTS THOSE DECISIONS.
SO I CAN, WE CAN DO IT MORE SPECIFICALLY, BUT WE, UM, I THINK THAT WAS THE COMMON THREAD THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR TRAINING IS HOW FLEXIBLE WE CAN BE.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE WE THINK WE CAME UP WITH THE DISCUSSIONS OF IF WE DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO, UM, TO GET AS MANY PEOPLE OUT PUBLICLY ASSISTED WISE AS WE CAN, LET'S FOCUS ON THE VULNERABLE.
AND THAT'S PART OF, PART OF WHAT CAME OUT OF THAT IS LIKE, LET'S, LET'S GET THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY ARE DEPENDENT ON, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING MIGHT HAPPEN TO THEM IF WE DON'T ACT.
AND SO THAT'S HOW WE NARROWED THAT.
BUT I MEAN, ANY MORE SPECIFICS WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT, WE CAN CERTAINLY, BUT AGAIN, A LOT OF IT WAS WHAT DEPARTMENTS ARE IN TERMS OF OUR GOVERNMENT, WHAT DEPARTMENTS ARE SERVING IT, WHAT THEIR FOOD'S GONNA LOOK LIKE, WHERE THE, THE WATER, THE FUEL, ALL OF THAT.
AND AND A LOT OF THAT AGAIN, CAME OUT OF THE AFTER ACTION IDA REPORTS WHERE WE REALLY ASSESSED OURSELVES, WHAT DID WE DO WELL? WHERE COULD WE IMPROVE UPON? AND THAT WAS JUST A LOT OF OUR TIME OVER THE PAST TWO OFF SEASONS OF WHAT, WHAT WE WERE DOING AND, AND WHERE, HOW WE GOT HERE TODAY.
BUT I CAN LET, UM, JOE GO INTO MORE DETAIL.
SO I THINK, I THINK THE OVERHAUL OF THE EMERGENCY OPERATION PLAN FELL INTO TWO CATEGORIES.
A FELL ON THE OPERATIONAL SIDE AND A FELL, FELL ON THE SPECIAL NEEDS.
AND I THINK SARAH CAN SPEAK TO THAT BETTER THAN I CAN.
BUT ONE OF THE REAL TAKEAWAYS FROM THE EXERCISE THAT WE HELD IN APRIL WAS THAT WE HAD ALL THE STATE PARTNERS IN THE SAME ROOM AT THE SAME TIME.
SOME BE OF ZOOM, BUT FOR THE MOST PART THEY WERE ALL PARTICIPATING AT THE SAME TIME.
AND WE HAVE TOTAL CLARITY OF WHAT OUR ROLES,
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WHAT OUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS IS WITH EVERY CRITICAL STATE MEMBER.SO THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHEN WE'RE GONNA MAKE REQUESTS TO PULL TRIGGERS.
THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT OUR BATTLE RHYTHM IS, WHAT OUR INTENTION IS.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S DRIVEN CULTURALLY FROM PARISH TO PARISH CUZ IT CHANGES.
SO THAT WAS TO ME, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT EXERCISE WAS THAT ALL OF OUR REGIONAL AND STATE PARTNERS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT OUR INTENTIONS ARE.
THAT IS, THAT IS DEFINITELY CRITICAL.
CUZ WE HEARD PRIOR TO THAT FROM SOME STATE OFFICIALS, WELL WE, WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT'S WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO OR WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS YOUR INTENTIONS.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO FOCUS OUR INTESTINES WITH ANY EXERCISE SO THAT WE COULD ALL GET ON THE SAME PAGE AND MUCH HAVE A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.
I'LL JUST ADD, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR RESIDENTS TO KNOW THAT THE PARISH PRESIDENT'S NOT GONNA DECLARE A MANDATORY EVACUATION UNLESS IT'S NECESSARY.
AND WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR LOSS OF LIFE FROM A STORM.
THAT BEING SAID, WE ALSO DON'T WANT TO CALL A MANDATORY EVACUATION AT THE LAST MINUTE AND HAVE PEOPLE STUCK ON THE ROADWAYS BECAUSE AT THAT POINT IN TIME THEY WOULD BE SAFER IN THEIR HOMES, UM, THAN OUT ON THE HIGHWAYS.
AND SO THIS IS REALLY A BALANCING ACT, UM, OF WHEN WE MAKE THESE DECISIONS BASED ON THE THREATS OF THE STORM AND THE PREDICTIONS THAT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ARE ABLE TO GIVE US, IT'S ALSO LOOKING AT OUR CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE CONDITIONS WITHIN OUR PARISH, RIGHT? HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN TRAILERS AND DO WE NEED TO MOVE THEM OUT BEFORE THE STORM? HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE MEDICALLY VULNERABLE? UM, THIS WILL ALSO DEPEND ON, ON WHERE WE ARE IN THE SEASON, RIGHT? IS THIS OUR FIRST HURRICANE OF THE SEASON OR IS IT THE 10TH? RIGHT.
OF WHAT, WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING? AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO THAT.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE, UM, TO CREATE SOME SCENARIOS FOR THE, THE PARISH PRESIDENT, OUR STATE REPRE, OUR STATE LIAISONS, UM, OUR, OUR DEPARTMENTS INTERNALLY TO REALLY PRACTICE THAT AND THINK THROUGH A WIDE VARIETY OF SCENARIOS SO THAT HOPEFULLY, UM, AND, AND WE'RE BRINGING THIS UP BECAUSE WE WANT RESIDENTS TO KNOW THAT WE ARE TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY AND WE ARE PRACTICING IT AND WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE A DECISION THAT IS BASED ON LIFESAVING ME MEASURES AT THAT POINT OF TIME AND, AND BLAKE, TO ADD TO THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, POST KATRINA, WE WOULD ALWAYS TALK ABOUT CONTRAFLOW, ALWAYS TALK ABOUT CONTRAFLOW.
AND THE WAY THESE STORMS ARE COMING, IT, IT JUST IS LESS AND LESS LIKELY THAT WE CAN PULL OFF CONTRAFLOW, THE STATE CAN HELP US PULL OFF CONTRAFLOW WITH, WITH, UM, AND THAT'S THE REALITY WE'RE FACING.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IT LIKE THAT WAY BEFORE, BUT, UM, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY NOT POSSIBLE QUICKLY FOR IDA, YOU KNOW, THAT FOR THE STATE TO, UM, PULL THE TRIGGER ON EMERGENCY CONTRACTS FOR THOSE BUSES TO GET HUNDREDS OF BUSES TO GET HERE, WE JUST DID NOT HAVE THE TIME.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, UNLESS THINGS CHANGE WITH MOTHER NATURE, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE FIVE DAYS OUT WHERE THE STORM SHOULD STAYING ON THE SAME TRACK AND JUST ZEROING IN AND JUST BEING STEADY.
UM, IF WE DON'T SEE THINGS LIKE THAT, HOW DO WE PULL OFF CONTRAFLOW? SO IT'S VERY CRITICAL THAT EVERYBODY, UM, HAVE THEIR OWN PLAN AND, AND GET OUT IF THEY CAN ON THEIR OWN.
ANYBODY ELSE? UH, IDA INDIRECTLY LED OR DIRECTLY LED TO SIX OR SEVEN INSURANCE COMPANIES, UH, LEAVING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF HOMEOWNERS, UH, STILL ON UNCOMPENSATED FOR, FOR HURRICANE DAMAGES.
UM, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE STATE OF THE INSURANCE CRISIS, UM, GOING INTO THE HURRICANE CENTER? I DON'T, I DON'T EVEN THINK THAT THIS STORY WAS AS DEVELOPED LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME AS IT IS NOW.
WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING? WHAT ARE YOU SAYING TO PEOPLE? IS THERE ANY LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL? YEAH, SO LAST YEAR WE WERE TALKING ABOUT RISK RATING 2.0 AND FLOOD INSURANCE, AND THAT WAS THE TOPIC OF ALL OUR DISCUSSIONS.
A LOT OF OUR MEETINGS WERE ON THE FLOOD INSURANCE, UM, AND FEMA'S NEW, UM, WAY OF EVALUATING THAT IN THE, IN THE, BUT THAT WAS 18% INCREASES A YEAR.
AND, AND WE, WE DID THAT THE FIRST YEAR AND WE KNEW YEAR AFTER YEAR, 18% INCREASES.
WE DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN.
MY, MY INSURANCE COMPANY DROPPED ME, UH, VERY QUICKLY.
I HAD TO FIND SOMEBODY AND I'M PAYING MORE THAN DOUBLE OF WHAT I WAS PAYING FOR, UM, ON A MARKET THAT I PROBABLY WOULDN'T WANNA BE IN, YOU KNOW? RIGHT.
SO, UM, SO THAT'S VERY CRITICAL.
AND, AND OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS WE'VE MET WITH THE HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION.
AND LOOK, A LOT OF THIS IS DONE AT THE STATE, BUT I'M ALL ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO AT THE LOCAL LEVEL? WE, WE HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY IN THIS, AND THAT'S WHY I KIND OF TOUCHED BASE A LITTLE BIT ON IT ABOUT THE DATA THAT INSURANCE COMPANIES THAT THEY GET IN OTHER STATES THAT THEY MIGHT NOT GET IN THIS STATE AND HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING THAT, WHICH IS THE PERMITTING PROCESS, UH, FOR RE-ROOF.
UM, BUT IT WILL TAKE AT THE STATE LEVEL, THERE WAS LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR VIDEO AND PHOTOGRAPHIC GEO, YOU KNOW, E EVIDENCE THAT YOU TOOK THIS PICTURE AT THIS PLACE.
AND WE CAN LOOK AT IT AND DEVELOP THAT, BECAUSE I'M NOT GONNA HAVE THE STAFF
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TO GET IN THE PERMITTING PROCESS ON RE-ROOFING GOING OUT THERE AND CHECKING IT.I WILL HOLD UP RESTORATION EFFORTS.
I WILL HOLD UP PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO GET INTO THEIR HOUSE, GET A NEW ROOF BEFORE THE NEXT RAINSTORM.
UM, SO WE NEEDED THAT TO PASS AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
UM, AND THEN, AND THEN WE ARE GONNA DO, WE'RE READY TO, UM, START MAKING THE LOCAL LAWS TO, TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THAT.
UM, PERMITTING, UM, ROOF PERMITTING AFTER A STORM WOULD BE A HUGE CHANGE FOR US.
UM, BUT WE'RE PREPARED TO DO IT BECAUSE WE KNOW WE GOTTA DO OUR PART IN, IN TRYING TO ATTRACT THESE INSURANCE COMPANIES TO LOUISIANA.
AND IT'S BIG FOR US BECAUSE WE'RE SUCH A BIG PARISH.
UM, BUT THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON.
IF YOU ALL DO HAVE TO ISSUE A MANDATORY EVACUATION FOR THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION, WHAT IS THE PLAN TO GET THOSE PEOPLE OUT OF THE PARISH? MM-HMM.
AND IF THAT DOES HAPPEN, DOES THAT MEAN THERE WILL BE NO SHELTERS SHELTERS OPEN? CAUSE I GUESS THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW IF THEY DO IGNORE A MANDATORY EVACUATION AND THEY DON'T GET OUT, THEY MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A SHELTER.
AND, AND I'M GONNA LET YOU KNOW, SARAH JOE, GO THROUGH THE VERY SPECIFICS OF A PUBLIC ASSISTED EVACUATION.
BUT WHAT WE SAW IN IDA WAS, REMEMBER A LOT OF PEOPLE STAYED AND THEN POST STORM, THEY REALIZED, OH, THIS IS KIND OF INSUFFERABLE CONDITIONS.
THERE'S THERE, YOU KNOW, AND EVERYBODY WAS TRYING TO GET GAS AND EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO ELECTRICITY.
SO WE SAW LIKE A POST STORM EVACUATION.
SO WHAT WE'RE STRESSING IS IT'S SO MUCH EASIER IF YOU CAN FINANCIALLY AFFORD IT.
YOU HAVE THE MEANS JUST TO GET OUT EARLY, GO, GO VISIT A RELATIVE, GO TAKE THAT, YOU KNOW, LITTLE, YOU KNOW, HURRICANE, JUST DO THAT BECAUSE THE STRESS LEVEL OF PEOPLE WHO, IF THEY JUST, THEY WANTED TO RIDE OUT IDA AND THEN THEY TRIED TO GET OUT AFTER IDA WAS, YOU KNOW, THEY ENDED UP HAVING TO LEAVE ANYWAY.
UM, WE WON AS MANY PEOPLE OUT AS POSSIBLE SO WE HAVE CLEAR ROADS AND WE CAN GET RESTORATION EFFORTS UNDERWAY.
WE WERE FIGHTING OUR, OUR WATER AND OUR, UM, SEWER SYSTEMS TO GET THOSE BACK ONLINE AND KEEP UP WITH ENERGY'S TIMETABLES OF GETTING THAT BACK ONLINE.
SO IT WAS HARD FOR US TO HAVE A POPULATION STILL LIVING HERE WHILE WE WERE TRYING TO RECOVER.
WE JUST NEEDED THAT LITTLE SPACE OF TIME TO, TO PUT OUR COMMUNITY BACK TOGETHER AGAIN.
BUT I WANNA, I WANT JOE AND SARAH TO EXPLAIN, AND WE JUST JUST WENT THROUGH THIS EXERCISE LAST MONTH.
WE HAVE A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS HELPING US WITH A PUBLIC ASSISTED EVACUATION, UM, WHERE THE STATE BUSES COME IN AND WE, AND WE PICK UP PEOPLE FROM, UM, LARA AND DELGADO.
SO I WANT, I WANT YOU ALL TO GO UP AND GIVE VERY SPECIFIC, SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON THE PUBLIC ASSISTED EVACUATION.
SO IF WE ISSUE A MANDATORY EVACUATION IN MOST CIRCUMSTANCES, IF WE ARE ABLE TO DO THAT MORE THAN THREE DAYS OUT FROM THE STORM, THE STATE BELIEVES THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE US WITH ALL THE RESOURCES WE NEED TO ACTIVATE PARISH ASSISTED EVACUATION.
SO I WANNA REITERATE THAT IT WILL, YOU WILL BE MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE IF YOU ARE ABLE TO EVACUATE WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY, RIGHT? OUR EVACUATION SYSTEMS AND OUR SHELTERS, OUR LIFE RAFTS, NOT CRUISE SHIPS, UM, THAT THEY'RE NOT THE MOST COMFORTABLE, UM, THINGS.
BUT IN THAT CIRCUMSTANCE, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A WAY OUT OF TOWN, WE WILL HAVE TRANSIT BUSES THAT RUN ALL OF THE NORMAL BUS ROUTES THROUGHOUT THE PARISH.
SO YOU CAN GO TO ANY BUS STOP, GET ONE, AND IT WILL TAKE YOU TO ONE OF TWO PARISH PICKUP POINTS.
SO WE HAVE A EASTBANK LOCATION AND A WESTBANK LOCATION THERE.
UH, YOU'LL FILL OUT SOME BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT WHO YOU ARE.
YOU CAN BRING ONE UM, BAG WITH YOU.
UH, SO WE'LL TAG THAT AND THEN YOU WILL GET ON A STATE, UM, CONTRACTED, UH, COACH BUS AND BE TAKEN TO SHELTERS.
YOU COULD ALSO POTENTIALLY FLY OUT, UM, TO OTHER STATES, TO SHELTERS AS WELL, DEPENDING ON, ON THE SITUATION.
UNFORTUNATELY, YOU'RE NOT GONNA KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING UNTIL YOU GET THERE.
UM, IT'S JUST DEPENDENT ON THE STORM AND WHEN YOU SHOW UP IN THE LINE, RIGHT, WHAT SHELTERS HAVE, HAVE ALREADY FILLED, AND THEN AFTER THE STORM YOU WILL BE BROUGHT BACK, UH, IN THE SAME PROCESS.
SO WE DID THIS AFTER IDA IN SMALL GROUPS.
UM, IT WILL BE VERY SIMILAR TO THAT PROCESS IF WE ARE ISSUING A MANDATORY EVACUATION AND WE HAVE TIME AND THE BUSES SHOULD GET EVERYONE OUT.
THERE WILL BE NO SHELTER OPEN LOCALLY IN JEFFERSON PARISH DURING THE STORM, AFTER THE STORM SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS WOULD GO TO, TO, UM, FIND ANYONE THAT WAS LEFT BEHIND THAT CAN'T GET OUT ON THEIR OWN AND DEPENDENT ON THE SITUATION.
WE WOULD SEND THEM, UM, TYPICALLY OUT OF THE PARISH, UM, TO THOSE STATE RUN SHELTERS AS WELL.
WE MAY OPEN SHELTERS HERE LOCALLY POST STORM, JUST LIKE WE DID IN IDA, BUT THAT WOULD BE ONCE WE HAVE, UM, SOLID SEWER AND DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS IN PLACE, IT'S UNREALISTIC
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FOR US TO OPEN A SHELTER UNTIL OUR PUBLIC WORKS SEEMS HAVE ASSURED US THAT DRINKING WATER AND SEWER ARE OPERATIONAL.DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES.
THREE QUICK QUESTIONS AND THEN ONE A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED.
WHERE'S THE NEW TRANSMISSION TOWER? WHERE ARE THE HUNDRED 50 TRAILERS THAT ARE STILL FROM IDA? AND CAN CATS GO TO SHELTER? SINCE WE KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE REFUSE TO EVACUATE KATRINA CAUSE THEY COULDN'T TAKE THEIR PATH.
OKAY, I'LL DO THE TOWER REAL QUICK.
THE NEW TRANSMISSION TOWER IS, UM, THE BRIDGE CITY LOCATION IS ABOUT, I WOULD SAY A QUARTER OF A MILE UPRIVER FROM THE, UH, U P LONG BRIDGE ON RIVER ROAD.
UH, THE HARAHAN LOCATION IS, I THINK IT'S CALLED POWER LINE DRIVE.
IT'S RIGHT BEFORE YOU GET TO THE S TURN, UH, HEADING FROM THE U P LONG BRIDGE, ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE.
AND IT'S ON THE, UH, RIGHT AT THE BASE OF THE RIVER.
IT'S 470 FEET TALL AND IT WEIGHS ABOUT 600,000 POUNDS.
UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 10 TRAILERS STILL IN BAYOU SIGN NET FROM THE DECEMBER TORNADO.
WE HAVE, UM, NON CONGREGATE SHELTERING TRAILERS, UH, THROUGH THE GOK PROGRAM FROM IDA THAT ARE ALL IN LAI OR GRAND ISLE.
AND THEN WE HAVE FEMA TRAILERS THAT ARE STILL SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE PARISH FROM IDA.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A MIX, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY, UM, ARE DEFINITELY ON THE WEST BANK AND IN LA GRAND.
UM, YES, SO WE CAN ACCOMMODATE PETS IN SHELTERS AND DURING EVACUATION IF A PERSON, SO IF YOU ARE EVACUATING, YOU GO TO A BUS STOP, JUST TAKE YOUR PET WITH YOU IN A CAGE KENNEL OR ON A LEASH, AND WE WILL ACCOMMODATE THAT PET.
IF YOU HAVE A SERIOUS MEDICAL NEED AND ARE SIGNING UP FOR THE MEDICAL NEEDS REGISTRY, YOU CAN INDICATE THERE.
IF YOU HAVE A PET, DEPENDING ON YOUR MEDICAL CONDITION AND WHERE YOU NEED TO BE SHELTERED, YOU MAY TEMPORARILY BE SEPARATED FROM YOUR PET.
UM, BUT WE WOULD COME AND COLLECT YOUR PET AHEAD OF TIME AND CARE FOR IT.
VINCENT, PUT MY FINAL QUESTION A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED IS THE, THE THE BIGGEST THING THAT TAKES LIVES, THAT TAKES ELECTRICAL LINES OUT.
IT TAKES PROPERTY OR TREES FALLING AND YOU SEE THESE TREES A LITTLE NORMAL, AND THEN WHEN THEY FALL, THEY'RE HOLLOWED OUT BY TERMITE.
DOES MR. WASOWSKI, OR WHAT DOES THE PARISH DO FIRST IF IT'S ON PUBLIC PROPERTY? BUT IF IT'S ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD ANOR TO COME CUT DOWN THEIR TREE.
HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW? I MEAN, THAT TO ME SEEMS LIKE FOR MOST STORIES WE DO FROM PEOPLE WHEN THERE'S REALLY PROBLEMS, IT'S TREES THAT THEY HAD NO CLUE WAS GOING TO, YOU KNOW, KILL PEOPLE OR CRASH INTO THEIR HOUSE.
UH, LOOK, WE HAVE NO PROGRAM TO GO ON PRIVATE PROPERTY TO INSPECT TREES.
OUR PARKWAYS DEPARTMENT, UH, BERNIE BY THE WAY, HAS RETIRED
MR. OW HAS RETIRED, BUT WE DO HAVE A NEW OFFICE ON BOARD.
UH, SO ANY TREES IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF AWAY OUR PARKWAYS DIVISION, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERY DAY THEY'RE OUT EITHER CLEANING UP STUFF OR DOING, UH, WORK WITH, UH, WITH ALL OF THE LANDSCAPING WE DO.
AND THEY'LL RIDE BY IT AND, AND THEY'LL SEE TREES.
BUT IF ANYBODY EVER HAS A COMPLAINT WITH A TREE THAT'S IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, ALL THEY NEED TO DO IS CALL.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE PARKWAYS DEPARTMENT PARKWAYS WILL ABSOLUTELY GO OUT AND CHECK THAT TREE, UH, AND DETERMINE IF IT'S A PROBLEM.
AND IF WE NEED TO TAKE IT DOWN, WE'LL TAKE IT DOWN OR WE'LL TRIM BRANCHES ACCORDING TO WHATEVER WE FIND.
UH, SO THAT'S AN ONGOING PROCESS.
SO, UH, I GUESS IT'S IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
IF YOU THINK THERE'S ANY ISSUE WITH THE TREE, UH, FEEL FREE TO CALL.
WHERE OUR PARKWAYS DEPARTMENT, UH, TYPICALLY, UH, THE TREES IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY ARE BASICALLY BETWEEN THE SIDEWALK AND THE BACK OF STREET CURB.
A NEIGHBOR'S TREE THAT'S BAD OR YOU ARE TREAT IT'S BAD.
YOU JUST, YOU HAVE TO DO PRIVATE.
I MEAN, RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, UH, LEGALLY TO DO IT.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE THAT ABILITY RIGHT NOW.
AND AGAIN, UH, WITH THE NUMBER OF TREES THAT WE HAVE, IT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD OVERWHELM OUR DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
UH, THE ONLY GOOD THING I CAN SAY IT'S NOT REALLY A GOOD THING IS WE LOST SO MANY TREES DURING HAIDA.
WE THINNED OUT THE NUMBER OF PROBLEMATIC TREES, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, DRAMATICALLY.
MR. MADAM CHAIR, MADAM PRESIDENT, I'D LIKE TO ADD ONE THING.
UH, MEG, THE, THE STATE CHANGED THE LAW ON, UH, TREES, ESPECIALLY TREES THAT GROW OVER FENCES INTO YOUR NEIGHBOR'S YARD.
USED TO BE, YOU COULD TRIM THE TREE THAT CAME IN YOUR YARD IF IT WAS YOUR NEIGHBORS, IT'S NO LONGER THE RULE.
YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY LITIGATE THE ISSUE NOW.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF SENSITIVITY ALSO ON TRIMMING TREES IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE REGION.
UH, TREES YOU'LL NOTICE THAT ARE GROWING INTO POWER LINES IN CERTAIN AREAS
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THAT THERE'S RESTRICTIVE ELEMENTS ON CERTAIN THINGS.SO YOU'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT CORRECT THAT TREES ARE PROBABLY THE BIGGEST ISSUE OF, UH, DIMINISHING THE EFFECT OF TR OF DISTRIBUTION LINES.
AND SO, UH, UH, ENERGY ALONE SPENDS PROBABLY AT LEAST 30 MILLION A YEAR DOING EFFECTIVE TREE TRIMMING.
UH, AS YOU GET BACK INTO THE, THE RURAL AREAS, THEY CUT 18 FEET BACK FROM THE POWER LINES.
AND YOU'LL SEE IT WHEN YOU GO THROUGH RURAL AREAS THAT THE POWER LINES ARE WELL CLEAR OF THE FOREST BECAUSE THEY TRY TO GET BACK FROM THE PINE TREES.
AND CUZ WHEN THEY GO, THEY'RE HOUSE KILLERS.
BUT, UH, AND WHEN WE GET INTO COMMUNITIES THAT ARE SENSITIVE ABOUT, THEY DON'T WANT TREES TRIMMED, IT'S A, IT'S A POLITICAL ISSUE THAT PEOPLE LIKE, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, YOU'LL SEE NOW THAT THE TREE TRIMMING TAKES PLACE ABOVE THE COMMUNICATION LINES, BUT IT STILL PRESENTS A PROBLEM.
BUT, UH, PRIVATE PROPERTY ISSUE ON, ON PRIVATE TREES, ON PRIVATE PROPERTY IS A, IT IS A CIVIL LAW ISSUE THAT IT BECOMES DIFFICULT FOR A GOVERNMENT TO ENTITY.
YOU CAN'T, BUT IF A BRANCH IS OVER YOUR PROPERTY, BUT YOU'RE NO LONGER ALLOWED TO CUT IT, BUT ARE Y'ALL ALLOWED TO TRIM A PRIVATE TREE THAT'S MESSING UP POWER LINES? UH, THE ENERGY CAN TRIM ANYTHING THAT COMES INTO A POWER LINE.
BUT THERE IS SOMETIMES CONFLICT OVER COMMUNITIES ABOUT, UH, ESPECIALLY IF YOU GO INTO THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AREA, YOU CAN SEE IT HEAVY, UH, ALONG, UH, TYPICAL BOULEVARDS THAT HAVE EXCESSIVE TREE GROWTH INTO POWER LINES AND THAT ARE, UH, THEY DON'T GO AND TRIM IT SIMPLY BECAUSE OF, OF ISSUES OF RESTRAINT.
SO THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THAT.
SO, BUT YOU, YOU ARE CORRECT ON THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, TREE TRIMMING IS, IS AN EFFECTIVE WAY OF REDUCING OUTAGES INTO DISTRIBUTION LINES.
I THINK WE HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT SPANISH LANGUAGE SERVICES YOU HAVE.
I KNOW SAID THEY HAD BILINGUAL SERVICES.
UM, ANYBODY ELSE? YEAH, FOR, FOR SPANISH LANGUAGE, ANYBODY? YEAH.
WE, WE HAVE THE TEXT AND THEN DANIELA BEK REALLY REACHES OUT AND, AND DOES A LOT OF OUTREACH THERE, BUT ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THE STATUS? YEAH.
UH, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF STAFF ON, UH, WHO ARE BILINGUAL AND WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER CALLS HERE AT THE EOC.
AND WE ARE ALSO IN PROCESS OF, UM, PUTTING, UH, CONTRACT OUT FOR BID TO HAVE INTERPRETERS ON SITE AND EVACUATION POINTS AND SHELTERS IF THOSE NEED TO BE OPENED.
UM, I KNOW AFTER IDA, GARBAGE PICKUPS AND JUST SANITATION RESTORATION WAS A BIG ISSUE.
ANY PLANS TO REVAMP JUST WHAT THAT LAYOUT WILL LOOK LIKE AS FAR AS RESTORING AFTER A STORM? UM, NO.
I MEAN, I THINK WE WERE, WE WERE SATISFIED.
I MEAN, PEOPLE ARE NEVER, YOU KNOW, THEY THINK IT SHOULD HAPPEN QUICKER THAN IT WAS, BUT I THINK WE WERE SATISFIED WITH ALL THOSE CONTRACTS, SO WE, WE DIDN'T REALLY MAKE ANY MAJOR CHANGES TO THAT.
WE HAVEN'T MADE ANY MAJOR CHANGES.
UH, AGAIN, WE WERE PICKING UP GARBAGE WITHIN A WEEK.
UH, WE HAVE EMERGENCY CONTRACTS IN PLACE, UH, WHERE WE HAVE CONTRACTORS THAT CAN IMMEDIATELY COME IN, ASSESS THE SITUATION AND BRING IN THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT.
UH, BUT ALSO OUR GARBAGE CONTRACTOR ALSO OBVIOUSLY IS GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THEIR WORK, PICKING UP THE DAILY TRASH.
IT'S THAT DEBRIS THAT WE HAVE TO PICK UP, SO THOSE EMERGENCY CONTRACTS ARE IN PLACE AND WE HAVE THE MONITORS CONTRACTS IN PLACE SO THAT THEY CAN COME IN QUICKLY AND DO EVERYTHING ACCORDING TO FEMA REQUIREMENTS.
SO IT WORKED VERY WELL IN IDA.
UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE ANYTHING, THE INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF DEBRIS, UH, IT'S, IT'S GOING TO TAKE SEVERAL MONTHS TO CLEAR IT, UH, IF YOU HAVE A STORM LIKE IDA, BUT THE KEY IS GETTING IT UP AND RUNNING QUICKLY AND EVERYTHING IS IN PLACE TO DO THAT.
ONE LAST ONE, APPROPRIATE TO THIS, I BELIEVE, UH, THERE WAS A RECENT SURVEY, UH, RELEASED ABOUT THE SATISFACTION OF RESIDENCE IN JEFFERSON PARISH, UH, VERY FAVORABLE TO THE JOB.
WHILE YOU'RE DOING, WHAT ARE YOUR COMMENTS ON THAT? WHAT'S THE SECRET TO YOUR SUCCESS? WELL, UM, I, I'LL SAY THE SECRET TO MY SUCCESS IS THE TEAM OF PEOPLE THAT I HAVE.
I MEAN, EVERY PARISH PRESIDENT SAYS THAT, BUT THAT'S REALLY THE TRUTH.
I JUST, I'M THE FACE OF, OF THE JEFFERSON PARISH ADMINISTRATION.
WE HAVE GREAT WORK AND RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR COUNCIL OFFICES.
UM, BUT I JUST TRY TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE OUR TEAM CAN SUCCEED.
UM, I EXPECT THEM TO BRING FORTH GOOD IDEAS.
SO I TRY TO RUN THIS, NOT LIKE, UM, I'VE WORKED IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND THE PUBLIC SECTOR.
I TRY TO MAKE JEFFERSON PARISH NOT A BUREAUCRACY.
AND WHEN YOU'RE BIG AND LARGE AND HAVE ALMOST 3000 PEOPLE, YOU'RE A BUREAUCRACY.
AND I THINK YOU CAN SEE IT FROM THE, UM, YOU CAN, IT, IT'S EVIDENT FROM THE DIRECTORS THAT I HAVE IN PLACE AND THEIR STAFF AND, AND, AND THROUGHOUT THEIR EMPLOYEE RANKS.
SO, AND WE DON'T, WE FALL IN OUR FACE SOMETIMES AND WE GET UP AND WE, UM, I, I'M NOT AFRAID OF THAT.
SO I THINK I TRY TO STRESS THAT TO OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM.
BUT THIS IS THE, THOSE GOOD RANKINGS WERE ACROSS THE BOARD FOR JEFFERSON PARISH GOVERNMENT.
[01:15:01]
SO, UH, I AM THE PARISH PRESIDENT, BUT, UM, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND ALL OF OUR PUBLIC AGENCIES, IT, IT WAS, IT WAS GOOD RESULTS FOR A LOT OF US.AND, AND, AND, AND THOSE OF YOU WHO SEE US, YOU SEE, WE'RE IN HERE WORKING EVERY DAY.
UM, AND SO SOMETIMES WE GET, UM, THINGS BOUNCED IN OUR FAVOR AND SOMETIMES NOT.
BUT IT'S GOOD THAT THE CITIZENS RECOGNIZE THAT.