JULY 2006
How can a newspaper possibly make another article about hurricane season readable let alone interesting?
Answer: go to the people behind the story. And in Sarasota that would lead us to the Sarasota County Emergency Management team and specifically to Section Chief Anne Marie Miller—the only woman in the top l
evel of that important county department.
WCW writer Rachel Hackney interviewed Anne back in May, in part so we could get her before the official start of hurricane season (June 1) and, well, so we could get ahead in our reporting, just in case.
I guess we all look at things and answer with “just in case” a lot this time of year. Few of us have moved away and more are moving here every day so it's plainly obvious we're gonna take what's thrown at us again this year weather-wise. However, I do sense people are preparing more this year than ever before. But what about people whose jobs are to make our lives safer and help us in the event of a natural disaster...what do they do to stay safe and how do they balance their family commitments?
Anne, for example, is a single mom to two young daughters. It was interesting to read that families of county employees can bunker in at the county building when a potential hurricane is coming. It makes for less stress on all.
Attending media day put on by Sarasota County's Emergency Management department also gave me a firsthand look at their “command central.” Overall, the county seems to have learned, like we all have, how to be better prepared and organized. Each year they make refinements based on past experiences. But, interestingly enough, I noticed a shift in some of the dialogue—moving responsibility more to the homeowner and individual. Indeed, that's what it's ultimately all about. Put another way, we can't depend solely on government to rescue us. The FEMA messes in New Orleans and Port Charlotte are glaring examples of that.
I had a chance to offer a belated welcome to newish Emergency Management Chief Ed McCrane and commented on how he came in and “went right into the frying pan” with so many hurricanes. “Some times it's better that way,” he replied. Be sure to check out the county's site www.scgov.net for lots of tips, resources, info and news.
Also in this issue is a related financial article on what documents to take in an emergency. As Anne might say, planning, planning, planning. We also have information on hurricane preparedness which, even for this resident of nearly two decades, provided some new information. The facts on generators are particularly informative if not eye-opening. While generators seem very helpful they come with quite a few cautions. I remember reading that several people brought them in their homes not knowing they were being poisoned by carbon monoxide.
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Another thing I found helpful was the suggestion to have an antenna—even the old rabbit-eared one—to get the TV to pull in more stations. I'm surprised how often cable service goes down in bad weather, so having the “ears” in place can get you access to more news stations.
I'd add my own tip here. Don't ditch that $9.99 Princess-style phone, either. If the power goes out (but the phone service stays on) those fancy all-in-one phones won't work because they require electricity. Also make sure those all-in-ones have batteries in them—some have that as a backup. Videoing and photographing possessions are other good ideas.
Okay, we've gotten through one month hurricane-free. Let's hope I can boringly repeat myself again and again this summer.
Upcoming
August will be our second Education Issue of the year. Plus we're going to roll out some events soon that will fall under the category of gourmet and fun! We'll again be doing our big health issue in October so call 954-3300 if you wish to advertise in that issue.
Do the Vote Thing
Many of you may already know this (because women tend to vote) that there will be a primary on September 5. Even though this isn't a presidential election year, the November ballot is a busy one and one with many interesting races.
I might add that there are many women on the ballot and many names will be familiar to the community (and more than a few have been featured in WCW in one way or another). We'll have a report and list the races in next month's issue.
We welcome your thoughts and comments on this column and on other columns
and features in this issue. You can reach us at WCWNewspaper@aol.com. |
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