[Preparing for a Disaster]
[00:00:19]
JUST PROOF OF CONCEPT EXERCISE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY CONDUCTING TODAY IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, NOT JUST FOR JEFFERSON PARISH, BUT REALLY FOR THE ENTIRE STATE.WE HAVE TEAMS THAT ARE GONNA GO OUT AND THEY WILL ACTUALLY CHECK ON THE WATER PLANT, THEY'LL CHECK ON THE SEW PLANT.
THEY'RE GONNA GO TO NUMEROUS BUILDINGS AND ACTUALLY TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THOSE BUILDINGS.
WE CAME ACROSS A PROGRAM BY THE JAVA CORPORATION THAT'S CALLED CRISIS TRACK, AND THAT CRISIS TRACK ALLOWS US TO GO THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS OF THAT HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY A DISASTER.
ALL THE DATA THAT'S PUT INTO IT, IT AUTOMATICALLY PRE FILLS OR POPULATES ALL THE FORMS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR FEMA.
THIS PROGRAM IS CUTTING EDGE AND THAT IT IS GONNA ALLOW US TO QUICKLY DETERMINE HOW MUCH DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED.
EACH TEAM'S BEEN GIVEN 20 LOCATIONS AND ADDRESSES, AND WITHIN THOSE ADDRESSES, WHEN THEY OPEN UP THAT TAB, IT'LL TELL THEM, OKAY, THERE WAS ROOF DAMAGE.
THERE WAS A TREE THAT FELL, THERE WAS A TELEPHONE POLE THAT FELL, UH, THERE WAS A WATERMARK, AND THEY'LL HAVE TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS.
BUT THE PROOF OF CONCEPT WILL BE THAT HEY, THEY TOOK A PICTURE OF THE CHI OF, OF THE TREE THAT WOULD'VE FALLEN OF THE ROOF THAT, YOU KNOW, WAS PARTIALLY BLOWN AWAY.
THEY'LL HAVE A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE ROOF.
ONE OF THE THINGS LESSONS LEARNED FROM IDA IS THAT WE HAD NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS WITH INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE LIVING IN HOMES WITH NO POWER, UH, WITH, UH, NO PLUMBING, OR IN MANY CASES, I'VE BEEN LIVING IN MY CAR WITH MY 2-YEAR-OLD SON AND TWO DOGS, AND WE CAN'T GET FEMA TO ANSWER THE PHONE.
AND WE COULDN'T EXTEND ANY HELP BECAUSE THOSE PROGRAMS HADN'T BEEN ACTIVATED YET.
SO WHAT WE'RE HOPING IS THIS PROGRAM'S GONNA ALLOW US TO GET THOSE PROGRAMS ACTIVATED MUCH, MUCH MORE QUICKLY, AND THEN WE CAN GET THESE SERVICES TO THE VICTIMS IN JEFFERSON PARISH THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THE HURRICANE.
WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO WITH THIS IS TO CREATE SOME LEGACY WORK THAT WILL SPREAD TO THE ENTIRE STATE, AND LOUISIANA WILL BE BETTER PREPARED TO RESPOND TO THESE DISASTERS.