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Dewey Beach emergency services continued its proactive approach to emergency weather conditions when it held a meeting Monday, July 30, at the Lifesaving Station in Dewey Beach to discuss operations in the event of a hurricane, terrorist attack or natural disaster.
The meeting, sponsored by the United Open Water Lifesaving Program, commenced with a question from Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) Director Jamie Turner:
“What are the issues concerning Dewey Beach in the event of an emergency situation?” he asked.
A group that included Mayor Dell Tush, Police Chief Sam Mackert, Town Manager Gordon Elliot and Dewey Beach Patrol Capt. Todd Fritchman, among others, decided on seven items in accordance with the DEMA Level IV guidelines for Sussex County:
• Evacuating residents
• Keeping primary evacuation routes open and traffic flowing
• Providing supplemental transportation
• Working with the media to alert vacationers and residents
• Removing/shutting off propane and other hazardous materials
• Identifying available resources
• Assuring the safety of personnel.
A major concern for the area is evacuating thousands of people from the area northbound on Route 1. Dewey Beach Mayor Dell Tush estimated that anywhere from 20,000 to 30,000 people could be in Dewey Beach – just 1.1 miles long and two blocks wide - during the summer. There are slightly more than 300 full-time residents in that same area. Fritchman said devising a plan to evacuate the town was difficult.
An evacuation route approved by the state in October states Dewey residents must go north on Route 1, because the Indian River bridge will be closed, and no cars would be allowed to drive south during an emergency. Drivers would then be rerouted to Route 16 and Route 18. Emergency personnel would monitor stoplights and intersections to speed up the flow of traffic.
For residents who do not have transportation or cannot leave their residences under their own power, transportation would be provided. Buses would be stationed at East of Maui on Route 1, as well as the Bottle & Cork and Rusty Rudder. Five extra buses would be stationed at a staging area in Lewes. The Delaware Department of Transportation would also supply more buses if needed.
Three emergency medical services vehicles would also be available. According to Turner, about 70 percent of the population evacuated from a disaster area will need supplemental shelter. If that would occur, the American Red Cross would be notified and other liaisons would make accommodations. The mayor would be responsible for releasing a statement if the area needs evacuating.
The meeting marked another chapter in the region’s progressive planning. DEMA held a conference on hurricane preparedness in January, and Delaware was the first state in the nation to be recognized as a StormReady state, according to the National Weather Service, earlier this year. Monday’s meeting included a lot of brainstorming, which Fritchman said is a good thing.
“We weren’t expecting to do everything perfectly,” he said. “That’s why we did this - to practice.”
Delaware is not the only state that has taken a stand in preparing for natural disasters. Dr. Peter Hartsock, captain of the U.S. Public Health Service and member of the U.S. Lifesaving Association, said many states are preparing better after Hurricane Katrina. The July 2006 flooding of Seaford is another good reason services are keeping prepared.
Hartsock also said the Delmarva Peninsula is the third most difficult area in the continental United States to evacuate, behind the Florida Keys and New Orleans. Hartsock said he was pleased with the Dewey Beach meeting and plans to hold others in the future. “I always say, ‘The First State leads the way’,” he said.
New technologies
The seminar also introduced the first Polaris all-terrain ambulance. The ambulance is built on top of a Polaris all-terrain vehicle body that makes driving on the beach easier. A solar-powered, satellite-controlled boat designed and built by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration was also revealed. Its purpose is to ride into a hurricane to record data.
The boat can stay at sea for long periods of time because it runs on solar batteries. Also demonstrated was a Star Trek-type communications command control vehicle that translates radio wavelengths for other emergency agency workers to hear calls.
The vehicle will soon go into production with the U.S. Army. The low cost of the vehicle will make it available for agencies across the country. One of the main reasons the price stays low is because the majority of it will be built by the Amish.
Contact Eddie Phillipps at eddiep@capegazette.com
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