[00:00:05]
HI, THIS IS PARISH PRESIDENT CYNTHIA LEE SHANG.
I'M HERE AT OUR EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER IN GRETNA.
TODAY IS THE DAY WHERE WE'RE DOING A TRAINING FOR THE UPCOMING HURRICANE SEASON.
IT'S OUR PUBLICLY ASSISTED EVACUATION TRAINING.
WE'RE KIND OF DOING THE TRAINING A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TWO PICKUP POINTS WHERE WE'RE EXERCISING.
WE WANTED TO INCREASE OUR READINESS AND REALLY, UM, MAKE THIS A REAL LIFE, UM, SCENARIO.
SO THIS YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE'RE, WE'RE USING BOTH EVACUATION SITES AT THE SAME TIME.
SO THIS MEANS THAT OUR STAFF AND OUR LEADERSHIP HAD TO SPREAD OUT ACROSS TWO DIFFERENT SITES.
THIS IS ALLOWING OUR STAFF TO TEST IT A LITTLE MORE CLOSELY TO NORMAL.
WE'VE EXPANDED OUR CAPABILITIES SO THAT WE COULD COMMUNICATE NOT ONLY BY CELL PHONE, BUT THROUGH RADIOS USING THE LWIN SYSTEM, WHICH IS PROVIDED BY THE STATE.
SO THAT'S GONNA, THAT'S, THAT WILL NOT ONLY BE OUR PRIMARY, BUT IT COULD ALSO BE OUR BACKUP IF WE DO LOSE CELL CELL TOWERS.
WE'RE HAVING, UM, A PICKUP POINT AT VINEYARD CHURCH AND AT THE ERIO CENTER.
SO ONE ON THE EAST BANK AND ONE ON THE WEST BANK.
AND MANY OF US ARE HERE AT THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER IN GRETNA THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH, PARTICIPATING.
WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY HAVE MOBILITY CHALLENGES.
UM, WE'VE ASKED PEOPLE TO BRING THEIR REAL LIFE PETS, UM, THEIR CHILDREN.
WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE WITH BABIES, UH, WHO ARE GOING THROUGH THIS EXERCISE TODAY.
AND THAT WILL ALLOW OUR STAFF TO PRACTICE WITH SOME REAL LIFE SCENARIOS, DIFFERENT CHALLENGES THAT MAY ARISE DURING A REAL EVENT.
WE'VE EXPANDED OUR RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION WHERE WE'RE INCLUDING MORE STAKEHOLDERS THROUGHOUT THE JEFFERSON PARISH DEPARTMENTS, AND WE'VE BEEN TRAINING IN, IN THE AREAS OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE OVER 500 INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE GONNA BE ACTIVATED.
I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT JEFFERSON PARISH IS AS PREPARED AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.
NO OPERATION WILL EVER GO 100% SMOOTHLY, BUT I FEEL 100% CONFIDENT THAT OUR ENTIRE WORKFORCE THAT'S INVOLVED WITH THIS, WITH THIS EXERCISE AND THE PROCESS ITSELF IN REAL TIME, WE ARE PREPARED.
ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES ARE UNDERSTOOD.
TODAY'S A VERY CRITICAL DAY AND WITH TRAINING IN THE OFF SEASON, AND OBVIOUSLY HURRICANE SEASONS QUICKLY APPROACHING US, WE DO TRAIN IN THE OFF SEASON TO BE, TO BE READY FOR THESE MONTHS WHERE WE KNOW A HURRICANE COULD, UM, KIND OF CREEP UP ON A SET ANY TIME.