https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE Expo
    • Calendar of Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Public Safety


Foulke and Dietrich Discuss Importance of Improved Communication

Foulke and Dietrich Discuss Importance of Improved Communication

The need for improved communication is one of the lessons learned by both OSHA and the EPA in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 and Hurricane
  • Written by Katherine Torres
  • 7th August 2007

The need for improved communication is one of the lessons learned by both OSHA and the EPA in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 and Hurricane Katrina, according to Dietrich.

“[After Katrina], many agencies were out there sampling,” she said. “There’s a lot of information lying around and people will look to EPA and OSHA to know what is safe, how workers are affected and it is our responsibility to figure out that data and to get the word out as quickly and as broadly as possible.”

After the events of Sept. 11, EPA was criticized after former EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman assured New York City residents and Ground Zero workers that the air around Ground Zero was safe to breathe, when in reality, the air and debris contained asbestos particles, shards of fiberglass and other toxins.

Foulke emphasized that it is just as important to have the lines of communication open between response personnel and agencies to find out what is happening during and immediately after a disaster. He alluded to the tragic I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Minn., where five people are reportedly killed and eight are still missing, and noted how jammed cellular phone lines have made it difficult to get in touch with response personnel who are onsite.. He said it was essential for responders to have the right means of communication in order to get in touch with agencies that can help them to stay safe while assisting.

“Communication is key in any type of emergency,” he said.

“We Can’t Do It Ourselves”

In addition to having an improved method of communication, Foulke also said that it was important for all government agencies to work together so that agencies can be better prepared in the event of a disaster, whether it’s man-made or natural in scope, and as a result, offer a better response.

“One thing I have learned since I have taken this job is that we can’t do it ourselves,” he said.

Working together is critical during a response, Dietrich concurred, and she noted that other government entities, such as the Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security, have volunteered to assist both OSHA and EPA in achieving that goal.

Preparedness Is Necessary

In order to ensure that emergency response workers are not placing their physical, emotional and mental well-being in jeopardy, Dietrich said it was important to provide response personnel with the preparation and tools necessary to respond adequately.

“Before anything happens, we need to make sure they have the right equipment, we need to make sure that our response personnel are given every benefit possible to be in shape, to know what is expected of them and to be physically fit in the demands that are put on them,” she said.

Preparedness also is key when looking at possible future scenarios where unknown contaminants in the shape of dirty bombs, for example, might come into play, and that’s something that both agencies have to stay on top of, according to Dietrich.

“We’re gonna run into [unpredictable] scenarios and there’s a real possibility we are going to run into some contamination we are not really sure how to deal with,” she said. “Everything we can do to think towards the future to what we might be facing and get as prepared as possible is very important.”

Tags: ar mag Public Safety

Most Recent


  • crisis
    Navigating crises with confidence: Five ways strategic plans support crisis response
    Some crises are short-lived, barging through our lives and routines, and before we can get a sense of what’s happened, we’re left dealing with the aftermath. But many crises build slowly, with many early warning signs, and once they’vehit their breaking point, panic and uncertainty overwhelm the ability of leaders to think clearly and mitigate […]
  • Electric scooter
    Research highlights safety tradeoffs of electric scooter speed limiters
    Since the first shared electric scooter program was launched in the United States five years ago, they’ve swarmed cities across the country due to their inexpensive cost, clean energy output and versatility as a last-mile transportation option. As their popularity has grown, regulating their usage on public roadways and streets has arisen as a complex […]
  • zero trust
    Zero trust is a great strategy but a terrible name
    The monthly town hall meeting was going well until they got to the agenda item called “zero trust.” What was to be a routine request for additional funding to implement a zero-trust environment quickly became one of confusion and misunderstanding. Trust in government at all levels has continued its downward spiral over the years. So, […]
  • Bloomberg Philanthropies announces $25K funding opportunity for 20 asphalt art projects
    Street and asphalt art is a proven way to beautify otherwise bland roadways while simultaneously making them safer. An initiative announced Tuesday by Bloomberg Philanthropies aims to bring more art to North American streets through another round of its Asphalt Art Initiative. Twenty individual grants of $25,000 each will be distributed to selected communities beginning […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • How governments can keep employees safe as they return to work
  • Preventing cyber-attacks needs to be a priority for local governments
  • Building community and officer wellness through data sharing
  • California city combines advanced technology with dedicated public safety team for comprehensive emergency management

White papers


5 reasons why Plan Examiners need Objective Trapeze

30th May 2023

7 Permitting & Licensing Fails Slowing Community Growth

24th May 2023

The Secret Ingredient to Local Government Employee Retention

23rd May 2023
view all

Webinars


How to Centralize and Build a Grants Management Process at your Organization

24th May 2023

Making Permitting Easier: What We’ve Learned Helping America’s Largest Cities Improve Their Permitting Process

16th May 2023

Digital Property Tax Collection: Tales from the Trenches of Modernization

16th May 2023
view all

PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


10 best suburbs for city-like living

1st June 2023

Gallery: Annual index ranks America’s top performing cities; most are in the West

30th May 2023

Gallery: Top 10 American cities for seasonal and summer jobs

25th May 2023
view all

Twitter


Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.