After a June council meeting when many had issues with
basement flooding, I wrote this: During last week’s storm people needed help
and wanted answers. Because of Superstorm Sandy in 2012 residents prompted the
mayor to work on an Emergency Communications Plan and to create a Task Force.
Today we are almost 3 years past that superstorm and I asked, in June, what
happened to the plan. The short answer Sutherland gave me and the nearly 50
other residents in attendance was that she “is still working on it”.
On October 12th the Environment Safety and Community
Services Committee met to review the recommendations of this Emergency
Communication Plan.
One piece of information no longer valid is Nixle. The city
and residents now utilize Ready Notify. Ready Notify is a mass notification
system used by municipalities in Cuyahoga County. “Its primary use is for
emergency notifications, when rapid and accurate information is essential for
your immediate safety.” You can read about and sign up for Ready Notify here:
Of course there are other safety measures in place that the
police and fire department must review and keep up with, but it was Sandy, the
flooding and a recent gas leak that had frustrated residents pointing out there
are some key missing actions when an emergency occurs.
The basic steps outlined in this plan during an emergency
event:
Mayor’s email blasts
Ready Notify
Activate social media through the Police Department as they
have a Facebook page and the department is staffed 24/7
Activate messaging team
Pop-ups on city website
Communicate using sign boards at City Hall and Board of
Education. The Recreation Department sign will be replaced with electronic
signage.
There was discussion of a neighborhood ambassador program.
This relied solely on volunteers. There is no formal program as the feeling was
this unfolds naturally when an emergency arises.
The discussion and the plan can be viewed here: http://www.cityofbayvillage.com/media/277850/2015_environment_committee_minutes_10-12.pdf
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