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WELCOME EVERYBODY HERE FOR THIS STORM, UM, PRESS BRIEFING.IT'S SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2024 AT 5:00 PM.
WANNA THANK SHARI AGAIN FOR JOINING US FROM THE DEAF ACTION CENTER.
UM, AND WE'LL HAVE A, A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS JUST TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE AND I'LL INTRODUCE 'EM AS THEY COME UP.
SO, UM, I JUST WANNA FIRST TALK, AND A LOT OF THIS IS GONNA BE SOMEWHAT OF A REPEAT FROM YESTERDAY, BUT THE INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT.
AND MAYBE IF YOU MISSED OUR BRIEFING YESTERDAY, AND WE KNOW WE HOPE PEOPLE ARE AT HOME AND GETTING SETTLED FOR THE NIGHT.
JUST A REMINDER, WE ARE UNDER A HURRICANE WATCH.
UM, WE, I, I, UH, SIGNED FOR A MANDATORY EVACUATION.
THIS IS IN PLACE FOR JEFFERSON PARISH CITIZENS WHO LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE LEVEE PROTECTION SYSTEM.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GRAND ISLE, BARATARIA, CROWN POINT, AND LAFITTE.
UM, BECAUSE WE ARE EXPECTING LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE.
I'VE BEEN ON THE PHONE WITH MAYOR CARDALE A COUPLE TIMES A DAY.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE LEAVING THE ISLAND.
WE'RE GLAD WE, WE SPOKE TO HIM, UH, JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO AS WELL.
UM, SO A LOT OF PEOPLE GOT OFF THE ISLAND, WHICH THAT WAS GOOD NEWS.
I WAS IN LAFITTE TODAY, UM, WITH REPRESENTATIVE KERNER AND HIS SON, THE MAYOR, KERNER, MAYOR TIM KERNER.
AND THEY WERE BUSY AS THEY ALWAYS ARE, SANDBAGGING AREAS.
WE DO HAVE SOME LEVEES THAT ARE BEING BUILT IN, UM, LAFITTE.
THERE'S ABOUT 10, ONLY TWO OF THEM HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, AND THEY WERE REALLY TRYING TO BUILD UP THE HEIGHT OF THE LEVEES THAT, UM, WERE NOT YET COMPLETED WITH SANDBAGS THROUGHOUT LAFITTE.
SO THEY WERE WORKING HARD AT THAT.
UH, YOU ALL ARE HERE IN OUR EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER.
IT, WE'RE AT FULL ACTIVATION TONIGHT.
AND FOR THOSE, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT AN EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER IS, UH, WE ARE FORTUNATE ENOUGH, THIS IS THE COMMUNICATION CENTER.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, A LOT OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE HERE WHERE I AM, WHERE, WHERE WE'RE GONNA, UH, RIDE OUT THE STORM.
SO WE REALLY ARE ABLE TO KIND OF, UM, KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE PARISH, THROUGH THE MAIN AGENCIES THAT ARE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THEIR FOLKS.
SO, YOU KNOW, FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE OUR OWN, OUR OWN DEPARTMENTS HERE.
UM, ANIMAL PROTECTION, JEFFERSON PARISH, ANIMAL AND WELFARE PROTECTION FOR OUR SERVICE, UM, FOR OUR ANIMALS, OUR INTERNAL DEPARTMENTS LIKE FINANCE AND PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
THERE'S A LOT OF THAT WORK NEEDS TO GET DONE DURING A STORM, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE, JUVENILE SERVICES, ALL OF THOSE, OUR OWN AGENCIES ARE HERE, AS WELL AS OUR PARTNER AGENCIES THAT ARE NOT PART OF JEFFERSON PARISH GOVERNMENT, LIKE REPRESENTATIVES FROM ENTERGY, WHICH WE'RE VERY GLAD.
THEY, THEY EMBED PEOPLE HERE WITH US, THE COAST GUARD, UH, LOUISIANA NATIONAL GUARD, VERIZON, EMS, AND OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE, JEFFERSON PARISH SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
SO, UM, WE'VE MADE A LOT OF OTHER, UM, GREAT IMPROVEMENTS THAT WAS ALWAYS IN PLACE, BUT WE'VE DONE A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS SINCE IDA, ONE OF THEM THAT I'M REALLY APPRECIATING NOW BECAUSE IT'S VERY CLEAR WE HAVE NEW LIFE CAMERAS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SEE A REALLY GOOD VIEW OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN LAFITTE AND GRAND ISLE.
SO WE HAD CAMERAS BEFORE THEY WOULD, WE WOULD KIND OF LOSE SERVICE SOMETIMES, BUT THE CAMERAS I'VE WATCHED THE PAST COUPLE DAYS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL AND WE REALLY HAVE A LOOK.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES WE LOSE COMMUNICATION WITH GRAND ISLE LAFITTE.
WE REALLY CAN SEE WITH THE CAMERAS EXACTLY WHAT GRAND ISLE AND LAFITTE LOOK LIKE, UM, DURING THE STORM.
SO WE'LL BE WATCHING THOSE CLOSELY OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
UM, IN ADDITION TO ALL THE PERSONNEL AT OUR EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER, WE HAVE NEARLY 500 PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES WHO ARE OUT IN THE FIELD AND READY TO GET TO WORK ONCE THE STORM PASSES.
AND WE HAVE ANOTHER 280 EMPLOYEES THAT ARE ON STANDBY.
THIS INCLUDES 165 DRAINAGE EMPLOYEES, 130 WATER DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES, 86 STREETS DEPARTMENT, 35 FROM SEWER, 31 IN ENGINEERING, 24 PERSONNEL FOR PARKWAYS ENVIRONMENTAL HAS SIX CAPITAL PROJECTS HAS TWO.
SO AGAIN, WE HAVE NEARLY 500 EMPLOYEES THAT ARE READY TO GO TO WORK AS SOON AS THIS STORM PASSES.
OKAY, OUR BUILDINGS PERMITS DEPARTMENT HAS SENT OUT A FEW INSPECTORS TO SPEAK TO CONTRACTORS TODAY, SECURING SITES AHEAD OF THE STORM'S LANDFALL.
UM, AND THEN WE FINISHED TODAY.
WE, WE'VE SPENT THE DAY FINISHING OUR PREPARATIONS AND CONTINUING TO MONITOR ANY CHANGES IN THE STORM.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHANGES TO THE STORM.
SO RIGHT NOW, YOU SHOULD HAVE FINISHED YOUR OWN PREPARATIONS IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.
OKAY? SO YOUR OWN PERSONAL, YOU KNOW, YOUR OWN WATER AND YOUR NON-PERISHABLE FOODS, YOUR FLASHLIGHTS, YOUR BATTERIES, YOUR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, YOU ARE TO SHELTER AT HOME UNTIL THIS STORM PASSES.
PLEASE, WE WANNA GET THROUGH WITHOUT ANY LOSS OF LIFE, WITHOUT ANY MAJOR INJURIES.
WE NEED EVERYBODY TO REALLY HEED THIS WARNING FOR US.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO STAY OFF THE ROADS AND SHELTER IN PLACE STARTING TONIGHT.
CONDITIONS ARE GONNA DETERIORATE QUICKLY, UM, LATE TONIGHT AND THEN TOMORROW MORNING.
SO YOU JUST NEED TO STAY HOME AND DO ALL THOSE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO AT HOME THAT I WOULD LOVE DOING, CLEANING YOUR CLOSET, CLEANING OUT YOUR PANTRIES, ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO JUST HAVE SOME FREE TIME AT HOME TO DO, HAVE AT IT AND STAY
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AT HOME.PLEASE FOR US TOMORROW AT SOME POINT, UM, FIRST RESPONDERS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COME OUT AND ASSIST ONCE THE WINDS GET TO A CERTAIN LEVEL.
I BELIEVE IT'S THE SHERIFF'S ON HAY, I BELIEVE IT'S 40 MILES PER HOUR.
UM, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO COME OUT AND ASSIST YOU.
SO YOU DON'T WANNA, WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE GETTING IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN ANY OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE NEED.
FIRST RESPONDERS JUST BE HOME THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT AND TOMORROW.
IT'S NOT THE DAY TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT 'CAUSE YOU'RE OUT ON THE STREET BECAUSE FIRST RESPONDERS ARE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO HELP YOU.
OKAY? EXPECTED IMPACTS, AND YOU'VE HEARD IT ALL DAY LONG, LISTENING TO THE NEWS POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING, HIGH CANALS AND POWER OUTAGES.
FOLKS, JEFFERSON PARISH, I'M ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT HIGH CANAL LEVELS WITH OUR STREETS RIGHT NEXT TO HIGH CANALS AND FLOODED STREETS.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THE CANAL STARTS AND WHERE THE ROAD STARTS OR WHERE ONE ENDS.
I'VE SAID IT YESTERDAY, I'LL SAY IT TODAY.
IT DOES NOT TAKE A LOT OF WATER FOR YOU TO COMPLETELY LOSE CONTROL OF YOUR CAR.
YOU DON'T HAVE ANY ABILITY TO STEER IT AND YOU'RE JUST FLOATING.
IT DOES NOT TAKE A LOT OF WATER FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
OKAY? UH, AGAIN, I'M I'LL MENTION SATURATED GROUNDS DUE TO RECENT RAINFALLS.
WE'RE EXPECTING MORE DOWN TREES 'CAUSE UH, WE'RE GOING INTO THE STORM WITH SATURATED, UH, SATURATED, UM, SOILS.
AND A REMINDER, EVERYBODY'S DOING THIS.
SO IF WE LOSE ELECTRICITY, YOU'RE GOING INTO THAT LOSS WITH FULL, A FULL CHARGE.
AND THEN, LIKE MY FAMILY'S DOING, GO THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SEE WHO'S STAYING THERE.
EVERYBODY, FOR THE MOST PART, I'M, I'M NOT HEARING OF A LOT OF PEOPLE EVACUATING UNLESS YOU'RE OUTSIDE THE LEVEE PROTECTION SYSTEM, YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE GONNA BE HOME.
LET'S TAKE CARE OF ONE ANOTHER AND CHECK ON ONE ANOTHER.
OKAY? ESPECIALLY THAT ELDERLY PERSON.
PLEASE CHECK ON THEM AND THEN CHECK ON THEM AGAIN.
ALL RIGHT? UM, PRE-STORM SHELTERING, AS WE SAID IS TARRYTOWN PLAYGROUND IS OPEN.
IT'S A STURDY SHELTER AT 6 41 HERITAGE AVENUE.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE COTS, WATERS, AND RES, BUT BRING BETTER FOOD.
AND I'M TOLD WE OPEN THAT AT FOUR 30 AND I'M TOLD THERE ARE ALREADY PEOPLE THAT ARE ARRIVING AT THAT TARRYTOWN SHELTER.
OKAY? UM, OUR OFFICES, OF COURSE, ARE CLOSED TOMORROW, AND WE ALREADY ARE GONNA CLOSE ON THURSDAY AS WELL.
SO PROGRAMMING IS CANCELED AND OUR OFFICES ARE CLOSED, UH, TOMORROW, WHICH IS WEDNESDAY, AND ALSO THURSDAY.
WE HAVE A SMALL, UM, ANIMAL SHELTER TEAM THAT'S GONNA STAY IN THE SHELTER TONIGHT AND TOMORROW NIGHT FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR ANIMALS.
BUT THE SHELTER'S GONNA BE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC TOMORROW AND THURSDAY.
AND THEY'RE GONNA ONLY BE ADDRESSING, ADDRESSING, UM, EMERGENCIES IF YOU'RE, IF THERE'S ANY EMERGENCIES, THEY'RE GONNA BE THERE TO, TO ADDRESS THAT.
UM, AND OBVIOUSLY GARBAGE COLLECTION AND THE LANDFILL, UM, IS GONNA BE CLOSED TOMORROW, AND THERE WILL NOT BE ANY GARBAGE COLLECTION TOMORROW.
OKAY? SO TRANSIT IS GONNA SUSPEND SERVICE AND MITTS.
UM, TRANSIT AND MITTS ARE GONNA SUSPEND SERVICE TOMORROW AT 10:00 AM BUT IF YOU HAD A MITTS APPOINTMENT TO GO TO YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE 10:00 AM THEY'RE GONNA STILL PICK YOU UP AND THEY'RE GONNA STILL BRING YOU HOME.
SO, I KNOW MITTS SCHEDULES A LOT OF APPOINTMENTS WITH PEOPLE.
IF YOUR APPOINTMENT WAS BEFORE 10, WE'RE GONNA HONOR THAT APPOINTMENT, TAKE YOU TO THE DOCTOR, UM, TO DIALYSIS, WHERE YOU WOULD GO AND TAKE YOU HOME.
BUT THEN IT'S SUSPENDED AT 10 O'CLOCK.
OKAY? UM, AND THEN I WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY WHAT HAPPENED DURING IDA.
JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, WE LOST SEVEN PEOPLE DURING IDA.
ONE PERSON DURING THE STORM DIRECTLY FROM THE STORM, AND SIX MORE PEOPLE POST STORM.
SO THE HAZARDS POST STORM CAN BE WORSE THAN THE ACTUAL STORM, MEANING WE CAN SURVIVE THE STORM.
AND THEN THE HAZARDS IN THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE EVERYTHING'S BROKEN DOWN.
NO LIGHTS, ROADWAYS ARE, YOU KNOW, KNOW, UH, CLOGGED UP.
FLOODING IS VERY HAZARDOUS FOR, FOR US AND FOR OUR HEALTH.
SO LET'S NOT HAVE THAT HAPPEN.
AND THEN WE HAVE OTHER HAZARDS AFTER THE STORM, PLEASE.
OKAY? WE HAD CARBON MONOXIDE DEATHS AFTER IDA.
WE HAD A HIT AND RUN BECAUSE THE STREET WAS DARK.
WE HAD A HOMICIDE AT THE GAS STATION.
WE HAD ONE OF, ONE OF THE FOLKS GOT INVOLVED IN THE NURSING HOME SITUATION.
OKAY? SO THOSE WERE ALL POST-STORM DEATHS AND ONLY ONE DEATH DURING THE STORM.
AFTER STORM HAZARDS, THE DANGERS OF OPEN CANALS BEING FLOODED AND STREETS FLOODING, GENERATOR SAFETY.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE GENERATORS.
YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THAT.
UM, AND THE CHIEF IS GONNA TALK MORE ABOUT THAT, WHERE YOU SHOULD PLACE IT.
WE NEED YOU TO STAY OFF THE STREETS AND GIVE US TIME TO PUT OUR COMMUNITY BACK TOGETHER AGAIN AND MAKE IT SAFE.
PLEASE GIVE US THE TIME TO MAKE THIS COMMUNITY SAFE AGAIN FOR YOU.
WE WILL DO IT AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
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WILL OUT BE OUT THERE.ALL THE UTILITY COMPANIES, THE FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR, OUR PARKWAYS PEOPLE ARE PUBLIC WORKS PEOPLE.
WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING AS FAST AS WE CAN, BUT PLEASE GIVE US THAT TIME BECAUSE ALL OF YOU ARE STAYING IN TOWN THIS TIME.
AND SOMETIMES WHEN YOU GO OUTTA TOWN, WE HAVE CLEAR ACCESS TO THE ROADS, BUT WE KNOW EVERYBODY'S STAYING IN TOWN THIS TIME.
REMEMBER, TRAFFICS SIGNALS MAY BE DOWN AND NOT OPERATING, AND WE DON'T NEED CAR ACCIDENTS AFTER THE STORM.
OKAY? BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR ON FLOODED STREETS IF WE HAVE THEM.
DON'T DRIVE FAST AND PUT WATER INTO YOUR NEIGHBOR'S HOME.
UM, AND OF COURSE, I WILL SAY AGAIN, THE LOSS OF ELECTRICITY MEANS IT'LL BE DARKER AT NIGHT AND THE LIGHTS MIGHT BE OUT AND WE DON'T WANT TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.
AND THEN BE CAREFUL ALWAYS AT THE HOSPITALS AFTER A STORM, PEOPLE FALLING OFF OF LADDERS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT YOU DON'T NORMALLY DO, THAT YOU'RE DOING AFTER THE STORM.
PLEASE BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, GIVE US TIME TO MAKE IT SAFE FOR YOU AGAIN.
OKAY? UM, THE EOC PHONE NUMBER, I SAID THIS LAST NIGHT, LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY, STILL CALL 9 1 1.
BUT OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER FOR PUBLIC WORKS OR SOMETHING'S A TREE FELL DOWN, SOMETHING'S BLOCKING A ROAD.
SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT.
AND THEN WE HAD 2000 PEOPLE JOIN OUR TEXT ALERT JUST WITH THIS STORM.
SO WE WANT EVEN MORE GET THESE ALERTS.
OR FOR OUR SPANISH SPEAKING CITIZENS.
THE NEXT SPEAKER, UM, I'M GONNA HAVE UP IS JOE VALIENTE, WHO'S OUR DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
UH, THANK YOU MADAM PRESIDENT.
SO I'M GONNA GO IN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT DIRECTION RIGHT NOW.
I'M GONNA TELL YOU THAT JEFFERSON PARISH IS STORM READY AND WE'VE BEEN PREPARING NOW FOR FOUR DAYS AND WE HAVE ALL OUR ASSETS ARE IN PLACE.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO, UH, MADAM PRESIDENT'S POINT THAT WE HAVE 500 ESSENTIAL DUTY EMPLOYEES ON STANDBY.
THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE AS SOON AS A STORM HAS PASSED, AS SOON AS A THREAT IS NO LONGER AN ISSUE, THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE GONNA GO OUT INTO JEFFERSON PARISH.
THEY'RE GONNA CONDUCT A PRELIMINARY DAMAGE ASSESSMENT.
AND THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT'S THE FIRST STEP TO THE RECOVERY.
SO AT THIS POINT, WE'VE GOT THE EOC IS SET UP, IT'S ACTIVATED, WE'RE READY FOR THE STORM AND FOR THE IMPACT.
BUT OUR NEXT STAGE THAT WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON NOW IS THE RECOVERY.
WE NEED TO GET THE STREETS OPEN.
WE NEED TO GET THE DEBRIS MOVED OFF TO THE SIDE IN THE APPROPRIATE LOCATIONS SO THAT WE CAN GET EVERYTHING BACK TO NORMAL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE OUR BATTLE RHYTHM FROM THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SECTION FOR THE NEXT 2, 3, 4 DAYS.
AND HOPEFULLY THE STORM DOESN'T CAUSE THAT MUCH DAMAGE AND A LOT OF OUR PROGRESS ON THE RECOVERY WILL BE PREDICATED ON, UH, ENERGY'S ABILITY TO GET THE POWER BACK ON.
I DO WANNA CIRCLE BACK TO ANOTHER THING THAT THE PARISH PRESIDENT SAID ABOUT THE CAMERAS THAT WE HAVE IN GRAND ISLE AND LAFITTE.
THAT'S BEEN A FOUR YEAR PROJECT THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH ON ENERGY, UH, TO HAMMER OUT, UH, COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT.
AND I, I WANT TO GIVE, UH, JIMMY AKIN KUDOS BECAUSE HE CAME ON ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND HE TOOK HIS TASK HEAD ON AND HE WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET ALL THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE TABLE TO GET THAT CEA COMPLETED, WHICH ALLOWS TO PUT THOSE CAMERAS ON.
AND THOSE CAMERAS ARE IMPORTANT 'CAUSE THEY'RE GONNA GIVE US REAL TIME SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN LAFITTE AND GRAND ISLE.
AND THAT'LL ALLOW US TO BRIEF THE PARISH PRESIDENT AND ALLOW HER TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS BECAUSE HER INFORMATION'S GONNA BE ACCURATE.
SO THE LAST THING I WANNA SAY IS TO TELL EVERYBODY SHELTER IN PLACE.
UM, POST STORM, PLEASE DON'T GO OUT SIGHTSEEING BECAUSE IT'S ONLY GONNA INTERFERE WITH THE RECOVERY PROCESS THAT OUR 500 EMPLOYEES ARE GONNA BE OUT CONDUCTING.
OUR CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, SARAH BABCOCK, SHE'S BEEN INVOLVED IN A LOT OF THE SHELTERING IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AS THE PARISH PRESIDENT MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE TERRYTOWN SHELTER OPEN.
UM, BEFORE WE CAME UP HERE, WE HAD THREE PEOPLE, UM, THERE, BUT WE'VE BEEN RECEIVING CALLS ABOUT IT ALL DAY LONG.
SO WE DO EXPECT THAT NUMBER TO GROW THIS EVENING.
AS SHE MENTIONED, WE HAVE COTS, MRES, AND WATER, UM, BRING THE OTHER SUPPLIES YOU NEED.
WE'RE ALSO PREPARED TO RAMP THAT UP FOR MORE LONG-TERM, SHELTERING POST STORM IF THERE IMPACTS.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE, UM, THAT WE CAN ACCEPT PETS AT TERRYTOWN, UH, PLAYGROUND.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE BEEN COORDINATING WITH OUR HOSPITALS, OUR NURSING HOMES, OUR DIALYSIS FACILITIES ALL DAY TODAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE READY.
WE HAVE ALSO RECEIVED MANY CALLS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE MEDICAL SPECIAL NEEDS THAT WE ARE, UM, EITHER GOING TO HELP MOVE INTO MORE APPROPRIATE PLACES TO SHELTER THROUGH THE STORM.
AND WE'VE ALREADY MOVED A FEW,
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UM, INTO THE RIGHT PLACE IN HOSPITALS, UM, OR THAT WE CAN CHECK ON POST-STORM.SO IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE HAVE A MEDICAL NEED AND ARE GONNA NEED EXTRA ASSISTANCE, YOU CAN CALL US AT (504) 323-1818.
AND THEN FINALLY, JEFFERSON PARISH HUMAN SERVICES AUTHORITY HAS BEEN OUT ON THE STREETS IN THE RAIN ALL DAY, UM, WORKING WITH OUR HOMELESS AND UNHOUSED POPULATION, MAKING SURE THEY HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO GO.
AND WE HAVE MOVED OVER 60 INDIVIDUALS OFF THE STREETS, UH, TO RIDE OUT THE STORM AND SAFETY.
NEXT IS OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, MARK DREWS.
HE HAS ALL OF THE DRAINAGE, WATER, SEWER, STREETS, UM, TRAFFIC CONTROL.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MADAM PRESIDENT.
OUR MOST IMPORTANT ASSETS IN PLACE, THAT'S OUR EMPLOYEES.
WITH THAT EXPERIENCE, THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH SEVERAL STORMS, THEY'RE READY TO GO.
UH, WITH REGARD TO WATER, BOTH OUR TREATMENT PLANTS, UH, WILL BE MANNED OBVIOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE EVENT, BUT WE HAVE A SAFE HOUSE AT EACH ONE, SO WE HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF RUNNING THEM REMOTELY IF NECESSARY.
UH, WE HAVE A FIVE DAY SUPPLY OF FUEL FOR OUR BACKUP GENERATOR, SO WE CAN WITHSTAND AN EXTENDED ENERGY OUTAGE IF IT OCCURS.
UH, SIMILAR FOR OUR SEWER PERSONNEL.
UH, WE HAVE OUR FIVE TREATMENT PLANTS, ONE ON THE EAST BANK.
WE HAVE FOUR IN THE WEST BANK, WHICH INCLUDES THE ONE IN LAFITTE.
THEY ALSO HAVE A FIVE DAY SUPPLY OF FUEL.
BUT ALSO WE HAVE GENERATORS, UH, PORTABLE GENERATORS AND PORTABLE PUMPS THAT WE CAN DEPLOY DURING AN OUTAGE SO THAT WE CAN RUN OUR REGIONAL LIFT STATIONS.
AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO BRING IN VACUUM TRUCKS AS WELL.
OUR PARKWAYS DEPARTMENT WAS OUT TODAY.
THEY WERE LOOKING FOR ANY DEBRIS IN THE PUBLIC STREET RIGHT OF WAY THAT COULD BECOME A PROJECTILE.
OUR TRAFFIC, UH, I MEAN OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT WAS MAKING SURE THAT ALL OUR ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION SITES HAVE BEEN SECURED AND THOSE PERSONNEL, ALONG WITH STREETS PERSONNEL ALREADY IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE STORM, THEY'LL DO RECONNAISSANCE AND THEN BASED ON THAT RECONNAISSANCE, THEY CAN CLOSE ROADS IF NECESSARY.
THEY CAN BEGIN CLEARING ROADS IF NECESSARY, AND THEY CAN START RESTORING TRAFFIC SIGNALS.
WITH REGARD TO DRAINAGE FOR THIS EVENT, WE HAVE 192 OUT OF 194 PUMPS IN OPERATION.
UH, ONE IN LAFITTE, UH, AT THE OAK STREET PUMP STATION.
JUST ONE PUMP IS OUT, BUT WE HAVE A TEMPORARY PUMP IN PLACE, SO WE'VE MAINTAINED CAPACITY.
WE HAVE A PUMP OUT ON FALCON STREET THAT PUMPS INTO PONTIFF WHEN NECESSARY.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE A TEMPORARY PUMP IN PLACE.
THERE IN GRAND IS WE HAVE FIVE PORTABLE PUMPS, UH, ALREADY SET UP TO ASSIST DOWN IN GRAND ISLE.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE 11 PORTABLE PUMPS THAT WE'VE SET UP DOWN IN LAFITTE.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IN LAFITTE, LOWER LAFITTE, THREE OF OUR PUMP STATIONS HAVE SINCE BEEN HARDENED AFTER IDA AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY AT THOSE PUMP STATIONS.
OUR CREWS TODAY, WERE OUT CLEANING CATCH BASINS, SOME OF OUR STREETS DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL IN OUR INVESTIGATION, UH, SECTION AS WELL.
UH, AND IT'S IMPORTANT A CASE TO NOTE THAT OBVIOUSLY ALL OUR MAJOR DRAINAGE PUMP STATIONS WILL BE MANNED 24 7 AS THEY ARE RIGHT NOW, UH, THROUGH THE ENTIRETY OF THIS EVENT.
AND THAT DOES IT FOR PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE ENTERGY, NOT ONLY IS JIMMY HERE AND HE'S ALWAYS HERE FOR, UM, FOR OUR PRESS BRIEFINGS, BUT THEY DO ALSO HAVE PERSONNEL SITUATED RIGHT IN OUR EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER.
SO A FEW, A FEW STEPS AWAY AND I GET TO SEE WHAT OUR, UH, OUTAGE MAPS LOOK LIKE.
UM, ENTERGY IS PREPARING FOR IMPACTS ACROSS OUR SERVICE AREA FOR TROPICAL STORM FRANCINE.
AND WE ENCOURAGE OUR CUSTOMERS TO FINALIZE THEIR PREPARATION AS THE STORM APPROACHES.
WHILE WE PREPARE YEAR ROUND AND CONDUCT RELIABILITY WORK TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE THE ELECTRIC SYSTEM, THERE ARE STILL POSSIBILITIES OF OUTAGES.
WITH A STORM THIS SIZE, WE HAVE A PROVEN PLAN OF CONTINUOUS PREPARATION, PLANNING, AND TRAINING.
AS SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS, WE MONITOR, MOBILIZE, AND ACT.
MOST IMPORTANT IS THE SAFETY OF THOSE LIVING AND WORKING IN COMMUNITIES HIT BY BIG STORMS OR SEVERE WEATHER.
SAFETY ALWAYS COMES FIRST THEN RESTORING POWER IS THE TOP PRIORITY IN FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS.
WE HAVE CURRENTLY ACQUIRED THOUSANDS OF RESTORATION WORKERS READY TO RESTORE SERVICE FOR CUSTOMERS WHOSE POWER MAY BE AFFECTED BY FRANCINE.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AS NEEDED BASED ON THE IMPACT AND FORECAST OF THE STORM.
EACH STORM BRINGS UNIQUE CHALLENGES AND WE STRIVE TO SHARE AN ACCURATE ESTIMATED RESTORATION TIME TO CUSTOMERS FOLLOWING A MAJOR STORM.
AS DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS ARE COMPLETED, WE CAN PROVIDE BETTER ESTIMATES TO CUSTOMERS.
POWER IS RESTORED FASTER IN AREAS WITH LESS DAMAGE WHILE RESTORATION TIMES IN THE HARDEST HIT AREAS DEPEND ON THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE TO ENTERGY'S ELECTRICAL FACILITIES.
THE MOST DANGEROUS PART OF THE STORM IS OFTEN JUST AFTER IT HAS PASSED.
[00:20:01]
TO, UH, WE URGE CUSTOMERS TO REMAIN SAFE AND AVOID DOWN POWER LINES AND FLOODED AREAS.DO NOT WALK IN STANDING WATER OR VENTURE INTO AREAS OF DEBRIS.
SINCE ENERGIZED AND DANGEROUS POWER LINES MAY NOT BE VISIBLE.
IF YOU SEE A DOWN POWER LINE, PLEASE REPORT IT IMMEDIATELY BY CALLING 809 OUTAGE.
WE ALSO ENCOURAGE CUSTOMERS TO STAY CONNECTED WITH US THROUGHOUT THE STORM.
WE WILL SEND STORM AND RESTORATION UPDATES BY TEXT OR PHONE CALL TO CUSTOMERS WHO SIGNED UP TO RECEIVE OUR NOTIFICATIONS.
IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO ALREADY, YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR THESE NOTIFICATIONS.
NOTIFICATIONS BY DOWNLOADING OUR FREE APP FOR YOUR SMARTPHONE@ENTERGY.COM SLASH APP.
VISIT MY ENTERGY.COM AND CHOOSE THE METHOD IN WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE CONTACTED.
OR YOU CAN TEXT REG, THAT'S REG TO 3 6 7 7 8.
ONCE AGAIN, THAT'S REG REG TO 3 6 7 7 8.
OUR TEAM WILL ALSO SHARE STORM RELATED UPDATES VIA TWITTER AND FACEBOOK.
UM, YOU CAN UTILIZE TWO ALTERNATE RESOURCES TO STAY INFORMED.
OUR VIEW OUTAGE MAP, WHICH CAN BE LOCATED AT ENTERGY.COM/VIEW OUTAGES, PROVIDES OUTAGE STATUS AND ESTIMATED RESTORATION INFORMATION TO CUSTOMERS ACROSS THE COMPANY'S SERVICE AREA.
WE ALSO HAVE OUR ENTERGY STORM CENTER, WHICH CAN BE ACCESSED@ENTERGYSTORMCENTER.COM, WHICH PROVIDES INFORMATION ON STORM SAFETY, PREPARATION, RESTORATION, AND REGULAR UPDATES SPECIFIC TO THE STORM.
YOU CAN ALSO ACCESS THE VIEW OUTAGES MAP FROM HERE IN THE EVENT OF AN OUTAGE.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH JEFFERSON PARISH OFFICIALS THROUGHOUT THE STORM AND WE HOPE EVERYONE STAYS SAFE AT THIS TIME.
OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE OUR DIRECTOR OF WEST BANK FIRE SERVICES, DON ROBERTSON, AS WELL AS OUR DIRECTOR OF THE EAST BANK CONSOLIDATED FIRE DEPARTMENT, CHARLES HUDSON.
AS THE PARISH PRESIDENT SAID THE WEST BANK FIRE SERVICE AND THE EAST BANK FIRE SERVICES IS PREPARED FOR THIS HURRICANE.
CHIEF HUDSON WILL GIVE AN UPDATE ON THAT.
I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT SAFETY AS THE PARISH PRESIDENT SAID, WE DO PRETTY GOOD WHEN A STORM IS PASSING 'CAUSE WE ARE BUNKERED DOWN AFTER THE STORM IS WHEN WE ARE NOT THAT WELL.
AS SHE SAID, WE LOST LIVES AFTER HURRICANE IDA DUE TO CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING.
WE ARE GONNA LOSE POWER IN SOME AREAS.
I WISH WE WOULDN'T, BUT WE ARE.
AND PEOPLE ARE GONNA USE GENERATORS.
IF YOU'RE GONNA USE A GENERATOR IN YOUR HOUSE, PLEASE MAKE SURE IT'S PLACED IN A PROPER POSITIONS.
IT NEEDS TO BE AT LEAST 15 FEET FROM YOUR HOUSE FURTHER, IF YOU CAN DO THAT, IT NEEDS TO BE AWAY FROM ANY WINDOW DOORS, SOFFITS UNDER YOUR HOUSE THAT CAN PICK UP THAT CARBON MONOXIDE AND BRING IT INTO YOUR RESIDENCE.
WE ALSO WANNA SAY PERMANENT GENERATORS THAT ARE, THAT ARE FIXED AT YOUR HOUSE.
IF THE WIND IS BLOWING TOWARDS YOUR HOUSE, THAT PERMANENT GENERATOR CAN DO THE SAME THING AS A PORTABLE.
SO LET'S MAKE SURE ALL THOSE OPENINGS ARE CLOSED AND SECURED.
ALSO, PORTABLE GENERATORS, PORTABLE GENERATORS ARE NOT DESIGNED TO RUN FOR 24 HOURS, OKAY? YOU HAVE TO LET 'EM COOL BECAUSE THEY ARE GONNA RUN OUT OF FUEL.
AND AGAIN, BEFORE YOU PUT GASOLINE IN THEM BECAUSE GASOLINE CAN CATCH FIRE.
THE MATTER PARISH PRESIDENT SAID THAT AT SOME TIME, AND CHIEF HUDSON WILL TALK ABOUT THIS, WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS ALSO, SO WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESPOND DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS.
REMEMBER THAT CARBON MONOXIDE, YOU CAN'T SEE IT, YOU CAN'T SMELL IT, BUT IT IS A SOLID KILLER.
PLEASE HAVE A CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR IN YOUR RESIDENCE IF YOU'RE GOING TO USE IT, IF YOU HAVE A TWO STORY HOUSE, HAVE IT ON BOTH FLOORS, THE TOP STORY AND THE SECOND STORY.
DO NOT PUT THAT GENERATOR IN YOUR GARAGE OR UNDER YOUR BACK PATIO THAT THE FUMES ARE GONNA BILL UP.
SO PLEASE, LET'S MAKE THIS A SAFE SEASON AFTER.
IF YOU'RE GONNA USE YOUR GENERATOR, LET'S BE CAREFUL WITH IT.
UH, FIRST I WANNA START OFF AS WE'RE GETTING READY TO DIG IN FOR A, A COUPLE LONG HOURS OF RESPONSES FOR OUR PARISH, UH, EAST BANK CONSOLIDATED FIRE DEPARTMENT.
I'M PROUD OF OUR MEN AND WOMEN AND ALL THE FIRE SERVICES ACROSS THIS PARISH STEPPING UP TODAY.
THERE'S A LOT OF MEN AND WOMEN THAT STEPPED AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES TODAY.
THEY COME TO WORK AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY'RE GONNA GO HOME.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY'RE GONNA GO TO SLEEP.
A LOT OF RESPONSES ARE GONNA HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 48 HOURS.
SO WE GOTTA BE VERY PROUD OF THEM FOR THEIR PROFESSIONALISM AND THEIR DEDICATION TO OUR COMMUNITY.
[00:25:01]
UM, TODAY, THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PARISH, BOTH EAST AND WEST BANK, STRATEGICALLY, HIGH WATER RESCUE TRUCKS HAVE BEEN PLACED OUT THROUGHOUT THE AREA.WE HAVE SOME NEW, UM, RECENTLY PURCHASED WATER TANKERS.
SO WE HAVE SUPPLEMENTAL WATER IF WE NEED THAT.
UH, THE MEN AND WOMEN ARE HAVE BEEN PLANNING THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
WE'VE BEEN WATCHING THE WEATHER FORECAST, AS YOU'VE SEEN, IT'S BEEN CHANGING QUITE A BIT AND TIMING HAS BEEN CHANGING.
WE'RE READY TO RESPOND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UH, I DO WANT OUR KEY ON, UH, ENERGY'S NOTE ABOUT A ELECTRICAL POWER.
UM, TREAT ALL HOT, HOT WIRES AS HOT WIRES.
AND IF IT COMES OFF THE HOUSE, TREAT IT AS A HOT WIRE, REPORT IT TO 9 1 1 AND LET YOUR FIRST RESPONDERS COME OUT AND EXAMINE IT AND ISOLATE THE AREA AND GET THAT REPORTED TO ENERGY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UH, LET'S HAVE A SAFE HURRICANE HERE AND, AND PROTECT YOUR FAMILY AND PROTECT YOUR FRIENDS.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, THE WAY JEFFERSON PARISH IS STRUCTURED, WE HAVE SEVEN COUNCIL OFFICES, TWO AT LARGE MEMBERS, AND FIVE DISTRICT MEMBERS.
UM, COUNCILMAN HANS BURG, THE FIFTH DISTRICT IS HERE TO REPRESENT THE COUNCIL.
I'D LIKE TO INVITE HIM UP TO SPEAK.
UM, THE GOOD NEWS IS, UH, THIS STORM IS MOVING REALLY FAST.
THE BAD NEWS IS IT'S MOVING CLOSER TO US.
I WOULD JUST URGE EVERYBODY TO STAY VIGILANT.
UH, THE PARISH WILL BE PUSHING OUT, UH, INFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA, SO PLEASE, UH, PAY ATTENTION TO IT.
AS THE PARISH PRESIDENT SAID, THE PARISH OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED TOMORROW AND THURSDAY.
UH, IF YOU NEED US, PLEASE CALL US.
WE, WE WILL STILL ANSWER THE PHONE.
AND, UM, AND YOU CAN ALSO REACH US BY SO SOCIAL MEDIA.
THE PARISH ALSO HAS SIX MUNICIPALITIES.
UM, AND I'VE REACHED OUT PERSONALLY TO ALL THE MAYORS TODAY.
THEY WERE VERY BUSY WITH THEIR OWN TEAMS, UM, MAKING SURE THEIR CITIES ARE PREPARING.
UH, WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE A CALL LATER TONIGHT, A LARGER CALL WITH OUR MAYORS AND OUR COUNCIL OFFICES AND SOME EXTERNAL PARTNERS.
BUT WE ARE IN THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT HERE IN GRETNA, AND WE'RE VERY HONORED THAT, UM, COUNCIL, UM, MAYOR BELINDA CONSTANT IS HERE.
SO MAYOR, THANK YOU MADAM PRESIDENT.
AND WITHOUT REPEATING ANYTHING A PARISH PRESIDENT SAID, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE PARISH AND OF COURSE, ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THE ADMINISTRATION FOR WHAT THEY DO IN COORDINATING EFFORTS WITH ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES.
JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THE CITY OF GRETNA.
OUR, OUR OFFICES, ALL OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED, UM, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY.
OUR MAYOR'S COURT IS CLOSED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK.
UM, ALL OF OUR, UH, EVERYTHING THAT HAD TO BE DONE PRE-STORM, I'D, I'M HAPPY TO SAY OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, PARKS AND PARKWAYS SEWER, I MEAN WASTEWATER AND, UM, WATER DEPARTMENTS HAVE COMPLETED THEIR TASK PRE-STORM.
AND WE STAND STORM READY AT THIS TIME.
THEY'VE BEEN CLEANING WPA DITCHES IN OUR CANALS, UH, TO THE LEVELS THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE LOWERED AND HAVE CHECKED ALL THE BOXES AS I, AS I SAID, TO BE STORM READY.
UH, THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO SAY IS THAT ON, UM, FRIDAY, UH, WE PLAN TO RETURN TO WORK IF EVERYTHING IS, UM, AT A PLACE WHERE WE CAN DO THAT SUCCESSFULLY.
WE HAD A COUNCIL MEETING THAT WAS SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY EVENING AT 5:30 PM A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING THAT HAS BEEN POSTPONED AND HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY THIS WEEK AT 12 O'CLOCK NOON.
SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT TO BE, UM, TO GO FORWARD UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING ARISES THAT WOULD FORCE US TO AGAIN, CANCEL.
BUT AS OF TODAY, IT IS SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY AT, UM, 12 O'CLOCK NOON FOR ALL GRETNA RESIDENTS, 7 0 0 5 3 IN THE TIMBER LANE SUBDIVISIONS.
FOR ANY EMERGENCIES, PLEASE CALL AREA CODE (504) 363-1500 UNLESS IT'S A, SOME TYPE OF MEDICAL EMERGENCY.
AND THEN YOU WOULD DIAL 9 1 1.
PLEASE HEED ALL OF THE WARNINGS THAT YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN TODAY.
PLEASE STAY STORM READY AND WE PRAY THAT ALL WILL END WELL AT THE END OF THIS EVENT.
I THINK CHIEF HUDSON SAID IT BEST.
LET'S HOPE WE HAVE A GOOD HURRICANE, MEANING EVERYBODY GETS THROUGH SAFELY.
SO, UM, WE CAN TAKE QUESTIONS, BUT WE, WE'LL BE OUT TOMORROW.
WE'LL PROBABLY DO ANOTHER BRIEFING.
JUST STAY IN TOUCH, UM, WITH US.
OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE WILL LET YOU KNOW.
UM, BUT ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, MIKE? YES.
ARE THERE ANY AREAS SPECIFIC YOU'RE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT AT RISK OF OVER TOPPING, EVEN BREAKING OR AT THIS POINT, UM, MARK, YOU HAVE ANYTHING? I DON'T THINK THE PARISH IS VERY DIFFERENT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE, WE'RE OF A DIVERSE PARISH AND THAT PART OF US IS WELL OUTSIDE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE STORM PROTECTION SYSTEM.
WE'RE ALWAYS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT GRAND ISLE.
UM, I'LL HAVE TO SAY THAT'S, THAT'S THE MOST VULNERABLE AREA AND THEN LAFITTE AS WELL.
BUT INTERNALLY, YOU KNOW, I THINK INTERNALLY, WELL, I MEAN, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET A WORSE STORM THAN IDA
[00:30:01]
AND THAT RISK REDUCTION SYSTEM FOR THE ENTIRE METRO AREA REALLY, YOU KNOW, DID A, DID A PHENOMENAL JOB.AND I THINK YOU'LL FIND IN LAFITTE, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE NOT FINISHED, THEIR LEVY SYSTEM, IT'S IMPROVED.
SO LAFITTE'S IN BETTER SHAPE THAN IT EVER HAS BEEN.
UH, AND AGAIN, GRAND OLIVE IS JUST MORE VULNERABLE THAN ANYTHING.
BUT I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANY MAJOR CONCERNS, ESPECIALLY IN UPPER JEFFERSON, EXCEPT OPEN CANALS.
THE PLANS FOR THE TERRY COW, UH, PLAYGROUND SHELTER TO STAY OPEN JUST DEPENDING ON HOW YEAH.
SO AT THIS TIME, WE CURRENTLY PLAN TO HAVE IT OPEN THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING AND AS THE STORM HITS AND WE SEE IMPACTS, IF WE SEE, UM, HOMES, YOU KNOW, BEING IMPACTED WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES, THEN WE WILL KEEP IT OPEN AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO OPEN ADDITIONAL SHELTERS ACROSS THE PARISH AS NECESSARY.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE EMERGENCY SERVICES.
I KNOW YOU SAID ON, ONCE AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT 40 MILES PER HOUR, THAT'S WHEN EMERGENCY SERVICES WON'T BE ABLE TO REACH.
UM, ONCE THAT HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE EMERGENCY AT HOME, WHAT DO PEOPLE DO IN THAT SCENARIO? WHAT, WHAT KIND OF SITUATION IS, I MEAN, STILL CALL 9 1 1, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T, I, AND THEY WILL GO OUT ON CERTAIN EMERGENCIES, BUT IT'S JUST, YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE SAME EMERGENCIES AND THEN WE CAN'T HAVE THEM RISKING THEIR LIVES.
BUT THEY'RE FIRST RESPONDERS AND THEY DO WANNA GO OUT.
BUT THE, THE MOST IMPORTANT IS EVERYBODY BE AT HOME.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THOSE EMERGENCIES.
I, I KNOW WHEN I WAS HERE WITH IDA, THEY WENT OUT BEFORE THEY SHOULD HAVE, I SAW 'EM ALL GO OUT.
THEY WERE CHOMP AT THE BIT TO GO OUT.
THIS IS THEIR, THEIR FIRST RESPONDERS.
SO, UM, THEY WILL RESPOND TO WHAT THEY CAN.
BUT GO AHEAD SARAH, YOU WANNA SAY, UH, HEATHER? YEAH, PEOPLE SHOULD STILL, IF, IF YOU ARE HAVING AN EMERGENCY, YOU SHOULD STILL CALL 9 1 1.
WE WILL TRIAGE DETERMINE THE LOCATION IF THERE'S A VEHICLE APPROPRIATE TO SEND OUT.
THEY WILL ALSO TRIAGE THE MOST IMPORTANT CALLS SO THAT AS SOON AS THE WINDS DIE DOWN, THEY WILL START AT THE MOST CRITICAL CALLS AND WORK THEIR WAY DOWN THE LIST.
WHAT PRIORS? 40 MILES PER HOUR IT SHOULD BE.
IT'LL CONTINUE TO OPERATE AS NORMAL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, EVERYBODY STAY SAFE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US TONIGHT.