Who’s in charge when metro Atlanta is in danger?
That question, asked by many an exasperated resident in the wake of this year’s major storms, was debated Tuesday by top state, local and business officials charged with making things better next time. They found no easy answer.
Following the crippling storm on Jan. 28, which left much of the region stuck on icy roadways overnight, Gov. Nathan Deal convened a task force to recommend areas for improvement. On it are 33 of Georgia’s brightest minds in business, emergency response and state government.
At Tuesday's meeting they broke into six groups — including one of state agency heads, one of business, legislative and local government leaders, and one of experts on utilities — to brainstorm recommendations. Almost simultaneously, the governor's office released the results of an internal review of the flawed January response.
Both the review and the task force sessions were replete with seemingly solid suggestions on material and logistical issues: what supplies the state Department of Transportation should stockpile, say, or the what the law should require of commercial truckers during an emergency. There was talk of creating information trees to disseminate crucial warnings and expanding the list of officials who attend National Weather Service briefings.
But the thornier, overarching questions bubbled up, too.
Charley English, the head of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, pushed the task force to better define the state’s role during a disaster.
“We may need to define where a state plays a more prominent role than a supporting role,” said English, who called such matters “more art than science.”
Jim Butterworth, who heads the Georgia National Guard, urged English to create a flow chart that specifically outlines who should be on alert and what actions should be taken if bad weather looms.
“We need to be able to see that if Atlanta is under a tornado watch, we know what we should do. In combat aviation, I know what my wing man is supposed to do if we’re moving into a threat,” said Butterworth.
All struggled with the understanding that the best-laid plans can go awry when an emergency strikes.
“We train, we train, we train, but when it happens we end up going to a huddle, like in a touch football game, and say ‘You do this and you do that,’” said Col. Mark McDonough of the Georgia State Patrol. Still, he added, “formal training still helps us perform.”
The group composed of business leaders and local responders generally agreed that the governor is in charge — but not unilaterally.
Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran said the big calls, such as asking people to stay home, should come from the governor, but only in conjunction with mayors in the affected areas. Or perhaps, only following a set of rules they agree to beforehand.
In any case, leaving it up to individual entities such as school districts clearly won’t do the trick, said Hala Moddelmog, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “That’s kind of what’s happening now,” she said, “and it is causing a ripple effect” of uncertainty and confusion.
“From the business viewpoint, from the data we’ve collected, people are looking for someone they trust, and that it’s more of an overall thing,” Moddelmog said.
There was also talk of the need to get more people at the table to help formulate the game plan. Agency heads said leaders from the forestry department and nonprofit charities, such as the Red Cross and faith-based groups, should be involved in the planning.
Meanwhile, the internal review released Tuesday by the governor’s office left aside the big questions of coordination, responsibility and accountability.
After blaming January’s fiasco largely on an “extremely unusual and rare” weather event, the document recounts in detail the actions of various state agencies during the emergency. While calling the initial response “less than timely and appropriate” it does not assess the effectiveness of specific actions or analyze whether they were in accordance with existing emergency protocols.
The report then summarizes four steps already undertaken to improve future responses: using text messages to alert and inform individual Georgians; seeking the counsel of local TV meteorologists when major storms approach; having earlier and better communication with school superintendents; and improving the “Ready Georgia” mobile app.
The report concludes with a list of 21 recommendations for further study. Most have to do with equipment and logistics, such as or buying new brine storage tanks and tanker trailers or creating strike teams of personnel and equipment from various agencies that can be pre-positioned at anticipated trouble spots.
Others focus on improving communication with Georgia residents, using tools such as roadside traffic advisory signs, commercial electronic billboards and radio broadcasts. And a handful address the need for better coordination among state agencies and with local officials.
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