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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008.07.28 CC Minutes - Tornado Debriefing MeetingCITY OF HUGO CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DEBRIEFING SESSION ON MAY 25, 2008 TORNADO ONEKA ROOM MONDAY, JULY 28, 2008 8:30 AM Call to Order Mayor Fran Miron called the meeting to order at 8:30AM. Present: Miron, Haas, Puleo, Petryk, City Staff: Mike Ericson, Bryan Bear, Tom Smith, Scott Anderson, John Benson, Jodie Guareschi, Nate Ehalt, Rachel Simone, Dennis Fields, Media: Jeff Ayre (White Bear Press), Aaron Rupar (Citizen) Review Purpose of Debriefing Session — June 20, 2008 Washington County Hotwash Session City Administrator Mike Ericson described the debriefing as a tool to better prepare ourselves and the City's Emergency Operation Plan. This is not meant to be a critique but a discussion to further our organizational operation. Washington County Emergency Management Director Deb Paige was present to facilitate the tornado debrief session with council and staff. See Attached documents for suggested improvements to the Hugo Emergency Operation Plan as well as an outline of what went well in the aftermath of the May 25, 2008 Tornado Disaster. Recap and Conclusions - Deb Paige Deb Paige reiterated the positive aspects that Hugo did in the aftermath of the Tornado and the also the relationship building Washington County will continue to pursue with Hugo and the other municipalities within Washington County. Council Direction to Staff Council asked that staff review the list of suggestions from today's meeting and incorporate them into the Hugo Emergency Operations Plan. Nate Ehalt will be working with the Hugo Fire Department officials and Washington County to revise and update the Hugo Emergency Operations Plan. Adjournment Council Member Petryk made motion, seconded by Council Member Haas to adjourn the meeting at 10:29 a.m. Hugo Tornado Disaster May 25, 2008 — Successes Council and staff commitment to the residents and lack of egos made the immediate and following week effort smoother for the residents, volunteer organization, and city personnel. All personnel stepped up to the occasion and the shared leadership style of Hugo City Hall provided the right atmosphere to handle the situation. City staff also covered for others in alternative roles to create free time to relieve stress. Early Notification — Public Works, Hugo Fire Department, and City Staff were alerted quickly by department heads and were able to be on the scene quickly. Public Works — Public works responded immediately to clear streets for emergency vehicles, and contacted utility companies to turn off utilities immediately. Hugo Fire Department - started immediate search and rescue of residents and requested mutual aid from surrounding Fire and Police departments. Busses were also called to relieve congestion and take residents to Oneka Elementary School where a resident care center was set up. Map of Area — City Staff had been working on GIS mapping of areas in the city for the fire department, and had just mapped Creekview Preserve area the week prior to the tornado. The maps allowed for easier resident search, utility shut -offs, and building inspections. Oneka Elementary School — Having a strong relationship with the school district allowed Oneka Elementary to operate as a care facility for displaced residents and restored a sense of calmness to the situation. Residents — Getting residents back into their homes as soon as possible and having nightly meetings to keep residents informed of the progress and continuation of work for the week helped residents understand the clean-up process. Credentialing of Residents and Contractors — Credentialing of residents and contractors along with security checkpoints at the entrance of the neighborhood allowed the residents to feel comforted that their belongings' would be secure as well as kept storm chasing contractors from preying on Hugo residents. Hugo Relief Fund — Establishing a fund within the first day, at both Lake Area Bank and US Bank, allowed for the City to capture support during the most visible time of the emergency. Donations were also taken care of through the volunteer organization and city staff to keep politics out of the picture. Hugo Fiscal Management — Allowing the city to bank reserves of funds through council policy over the years expedited the clean-up effort since the City had the wherewithal to cash flow the emergency. State and National Political Leaders — Exposure and experience from State and National political leaders increased support and calmness to the residents in need and provided the Hugo Council with tips for working through the this emergency. Unifying quality in the Mayor and Council brought community together. Media Relations — Information was well presented to the media and the use of Molly O'Rourke and PIO Maggie Atkins from Washington County freed up city staff time and ensured a unified and cohesive message. The message to help the residents was never lost. Volunteer Coordinator — This worked well to have one point person from the City of Hugo to work with the volunteer organizations and to carry the long term recovery effort forward. Nate Ehalt did a great job. Help from former employees and business members who wanted to help. Their involvement and knowledge of the Hugo system allowed for work to be delegated to them for completion without training. Hugo Tornado Disaster May 25, 2008 - Suggestions for Improvement Update phone lists and distribute to key personnel. City should create and use a phone calling tree system City Council and City Staff identification badges for easier access to restricted areas. Council members need to be made aware of situation and severity as soon as possible. Create established roles for council members. Preplanning — look at other municipalities and how they stage their equipment when weather or other physical threats are possible. Unified Command Post — Work to create a better communication flow between Fire and Police Departments as well as the community leaders. Review command post location, possibly set it up at city hall since this is the hub of the activity. Volunteer efforts — establish a 211 call center as soon as possible to reduce calls to city hall regarding volunteer help. Also, create a unified and complete message of details for clean-up day before the message is given to the media. Look at Public Information Officer position and who will take the lead when the Mayor is absent. Use the council member from the specific ward that was affected first. Create timelines for media meetings and press conferences in EOP as necessary. Continue to learn and teach new employees and council member the NIMS process for future incidents.