Penobscot emergency management 101

As the winds, both actual and political, begin to subside in the southeastern United States, it is time to take stock of where Penobscot County is postured in terms of emergency management and our ability to take action in response to disaster, whether natural or man-made.

The first, and perhaps most important element in the equation, is the cadre of first responders we have at our disposal. Without doubt, the citizens of Penobscot County are blessed with the finest and most talented group of fire, police and EMS personnel to be found anywhere. These forces have been and are continually training, are actively planning for response to any number of potential situations and are coalescing into a force equal to the tasks being thrust upon them.

Much has been said about the problem with “turf issues” and the protocols for C-3 (Command, Control and Communications), the “who’s in charge and radios.”

Several observations need to be made to put things into a proper perspective. Are there turf wars? Of course there are and there always will be. People protecting their vested interests are a natural part of the political process we hold near and dear in the country. Police and fire forces having different views on how to approach a problem is no different than a school board having different ideas then public works during the budget process.

When the bell rings, our responders talk to one another, respond to one another’s needs and put the protection of our taxpayers above all else.

The C-3 element, like everywhere else in the nation, is a work in progress. Following the lead of our brethren in the fire service, a very structured command and control feature is already in place. ICS or Incident Command System is a national standard adopted across the country and works very well on a house fire or a terrorist attack which was recently practiced at Bangor International Airport and on the Bucksport waterfront.

As an event grows in magnitude, so too must the command structure, evolving into what is known as Unified Command which simply stated means police, fire, EMS and emergency management resources meld into one group and concurrently manage people and assets to insure the meeting of strategic goals. In the near future, all Maine communities and counties will be adopting the National Incident Management System (NIMS) which “ramps up” to add the elements of state and federal resources to the response and adds them to the decision making body.

The system works, has been extensively practiced upon and provides us with the tools to manage our emergency plans.

Another area of response which Maine has very much in its favor is the ability of emergency managers like myself to pick up the phone or visit people like Bangor Fire Chief Jeff Cammack, Newport Police Chief Len MacDaid or Holden Town Manager Larry Varisco. We talk, we plan and attempt daily to better meet the emergency needs of those we are charged to protect.

The Penobscot County Commissioners have and will continue to direct this staff member, along with all other county personnel, to be proactive in our partnerships with all other towns, cities, and state and federal entities and where possible, be the catalyst to affect change and fix problems that evolve.

Even though Maine is a vast state in terms of geographical area, the means of eliminating the shortfalls and miscommunications witnessed elsewhere have been overcome or have been identified and are being addressed collaboratively.

Help from the other 15 county directors is but a call, fax or e-mail message away. I speak almost daily with our partners at the Maine Emergency Management Agency who provide prompt and professional support. MEMA Director Art Cleaves, or any of his subordinate staff, are available 24-7 and work vigorously to support local and county needs and efforts.

Communications in its wide array of forms and functions (UHF, VHF, narrow band, wide band cell phone satellite phone, etc.) has and will continue to be a challenge.

Penobscot County commissioners are actively involved in directing county staff to support ongoing efforts to make our communications system as robust and modernized as possible. Because of their sound investment in both money and resources and by making “comm.” a priority, we are making measurable progress. As you read this commentary, a county-state partnership is taking place to put at our disposal, the most comprehensive voice radio communications system ever produced in this state.

The combined effort of resources, money and talent from local, state and federal agencies is destined to make Maine a model in the future.

Emergency management by its very nature is time-consuming, and at times, tedious work that involves planning, reviewing and more planning. We work those changes every day.

Can we design better plans to insure better outcomes? Certainly.

Are the collective EMA minds in Maine working daily to better our lot? We are.

Can the taxpayers we protect expect a far superior response effort than what’s been seen elsewhere? Without a doubt. And they will get it.

Tom Robertson is director of the Penobscot County Emergency Management Agency.