HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-24-2024 Storm Readiness Committee minutesMINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE
STORM AND INCIDENT READINESS AD HOC COMMITTEE
OF THE CITY OF LA PORTE
Members Present: Chuck Engelken, Chair, Bill Bentley; Sherri Ditrich; Mason Peres
(arrived at 6:37 p.m.)
Members Attending Remotely: Jeff Suggs
Members Absent: None
City Staff Participating: Johnny Morales, Emergency Management Coordinator; Matt
Daeumer, Assistant City Manager; Lee Woodward, City
Secretary
The Storm and Incident Readiness Committee of the City of La Porte
met in a meeting on September 24, 2024, at the City Hall Council Chambers,
604 West Fairmont Parkway, La Porte, Texas, at 6:00 p.m.
1. CALL TO ORDER - Chair Engelken called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m.
2. CITIZEN COMMENT - (Generally limited to five minutes per person; in accordance
with state law, the time may be reduced if there is a high number of speakers or other
considerations.)
There were no comments.
3. COMMITTEE CHARGE AND DISCUSSION
Purpose: The City of La Porte is establishing an ad hoc committee to assess
and enhance the City's preparedness for storms and other significant incidents.
This committee will focus on identifying strategies to protect residents,
infrastructure, and resources to ensure the City maintains a strong
preparedness posture to plan for, respond to, and recover from emergencies.
Objectives:
The committee will review the following topics with the intent to make
suggestions for improvements, implementation and/or modernization.
• Emergency Preparedness Planning
o Review and make recommendations to update the City's response plans.
o Identify potential hazards and conduct risk assessments to preparedness
measures.
• Public Communication and Education
o Review existing public awareness campaigns for pre -incident readiness
such as evacuation routes, shelter locations, and emergency procedures.
o Review the utilization of social media and other communications platforms
for real-time updates pre, during and post incident.
o Review engagement with local small businesses to ensure resilience after
incidents.
• Resource Allocation and Logistics
o Review readiness for deployment of emergency supplies and equipment
with the purpose of optimizing logistics for efficiency.
o Review mutual aid agreements with neighboring cities and regions to
enhance resource availability.
• Vulnerable Population Support
o Review plans for vulnerable groups, including seniors, assisted care
facilities and home bound individuals.
o Review outreach programs to ensure these populations are informed and
prepared for storms and other incidents.
o Review any city partnerships with community organizations that provide
targeted assistance to vulnerable populations.
• Evacuation and Shelter Planning
o Review existing facilities for possible use as cooling stations and/or
distribution sites pre and post event and ensure these sites are equipped to
handle displaced residents.
o Review/develop transportation plans for vulnerable populations, including
the elderly and disabled, to ensure their safety during evacuations.
• First Responder Coordination
o Review training and drills for police, fire, and EMS.
o Review communication and coordination protocols among first responders.
o Review any rapid deployment strategies for emergency services to ensure
swift and effective responses.
• Financial Planning and Insurance
o Review budget for emergency preparedness and recovery efforts, ensuring
financial resources are available when needed.
o Review existing plans to access federal and state disaster relief funds
pre/post event.
• Post -Event Recovery and Assessment
o Review established procedures for debris removal and damage assessment
following an incident.
o Conduct evaluations of the City's response to incidents, identifying lessons
learned and areas for improvement.
• Technology and Innovation
o Review the existence or possibility to utilize data and predictive modeling
to anticipate storm impacts and inform preparedness measures.
o Review existing and new technologies, including Al and GIS systems, to
enhance emergency management capabilities.
o Review existing Emergency Operations Center (EOC) technology and
capabilities.
Mayor Helton provided an overview of the committee's charge, requesting
suggestions to improve plans, relationships, and resources. Chair Engelken said
perhaps the Committee would be conducting a gap analysis to bring the City's
program to a 'legendary' level. Mayor Helton reminded the Committee that two of the
meetings should be focused on citizen input.
Emergency Management Coordinator Johnny Morales provided an overview of the
City's current readiness and preparations.
Member Suggs suggested looking into past events for learning opportunities which
can be useful in future incidents. The Committee agreed that questions from members
would flow through the Chair to EMC Morales.
Members said the pipeline explosion event last week indicated how well the City
departments re§Ronded together and lauded EMC Morales' preparation.