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Operations Day 3

Dayshift, Day 3

Our staff continued today with Day 3 of operations at Lee County Sheriff’s Office 911 Center. The staff continues in 3 platoons; it is expected that they will start rotating days off in the next day or two. Lee County Domestic Animal Services has been kind in lending the team 3-100-foot water hoses to facilitate refilling the water tanks aboard HAVOC-1. Lee County was also gracious in arranging for a sanitary vehicle to come out to perform

Another honorary member!

service on HAVOC-1 as well. Call volume remains steady, and it is important to remember that normal daily operations are continuing as well. The catastrophic damage and civil displacement not withstanding, LCSO remains a department tasked with public safety, hurricane or not. In that spirit, TERT OH-1 continues to provide support to LCSO’s 911 Center both storm-related, and in the course of daily business.  The staff remain in good spirts.

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Honorary New Member

Like, many friends…

Fletcher the K-9 from Orange County Fire-Rescue stopped by today to say hello to TERT OH-1 and express pawsitively wonderful thanks for all the team’s work. The team are still in good spirits and healthy; shifts are now divided into 3 platoons: 0500-1700, 1200-2400, and 1600-0400. Run volume remains at approximately 1,200 calls every 24 hours. This is likely to continue as more evacuees return to their homes and businesses, especially in the very hard-hit Gulf Coast section of the county. South Fork Fire-Rescue has been kind enough to allow use of their shower facilities to the team, which everyone is thankful for, especially since the air

HAVOC-1 stands tall amidst a beautiful Florida sunset.

conditioning in the tent has frozen up. LCSO command staff have been complementary of the team’s work, and we are thankful for their hospitality.  Pictures and releases are continuing to be posted daily on www.ohiotert.org, and on our Facebook page, Ohio TERT.

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First Shifts Underway

Good evening.

The first shifts for the team are underway. For now, the dispatchers have divided into three platoons, working 0500-1700, 1200-2400, and 1700-0500. Upon receiving a briefing from the LCSO and an abbreviated training, the first day-shift crew started fielding calls on the LCSO non-emergency telephony system. The call volume remains high; many parts of Lee County still have limited accessibility, and damage estimates are still being undertaken. Ohio APCO President Johnna Sells took part in a conference call with Ohio EMA this afternoon, where they reaffirmed support for TERT OH-1, and stood ready to provide any support. The radio infrastructure has been found to be within acceptable tolerances, and repairs are underway. As such, the Ohio MARCS personnel have departed, and are returning to Columbus.

One team member is returning home to tend to a private matter. We are in the process of filling that position to maintain adequate manpower. Personnel from TERT TX-1 are also as LCSO, but are due to rotate out at the end of this week.

All other personnel are healthy, and in good spirits.

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On Assignment, from Lee County

Good morning.The day shift personnel reported this morning at 04:00, joining other TERT colleagues from Texas and elsewhere in Florida. The team received orientation training on the LCSO 911 center, and began to work hand-on with the calltaking system in use at LCSO.  The team received a hot breakfast from the LCSO, which they were thankful for. The night shift personnel remain resting, and will come on duty at 4PM tonight. All personnel continue to be in good spirits. President Biden is touring the damage in Lee County today, as well.


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Arrived Lee County

 

All set up.

The support fleet, ready to go.

Good evening.

TERT OH-1 arrived in Lee County this evening around 4PM. Team Leaders received a briefing from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office 911 Center personnel, and set up camp for the evening. They are currently adjacent to the 911 center, having set up their tent and base of operations. Following their briefing, the team offloaded their supply trailer, and got the generators operational.

The dispatchers have split into two teams, and will be working 12 hour shifts, changing at 4AM and 4PM daily. The radio technicians will likely meet with their Florida counterparts tomorrow as well to get a bearing on the infrastructure condition in the area. The team is healthy, and ready to get to work.

 

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Have Crossed into Florida

Refueling at the GA/FL state line.

TERT OH-1 this morning crossed into Florida, and as of 2PM local time, was passing through metro Ocala. They expect to be in Lee County by around 4PM.

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Outbound This Morning

The Ohio TERT Team OH-1 departed this morning from Gahanna at 06:15 following a final briefing and Invocation by Chaplain Kevin Kellogg from Violet Township Fire. Following a stop for equipment pick-up in Cincinnati, the team will stop for the evening in Central Georgia. Tuesday morning, the team will head for Southwest Florida and expects to report for duty late Tuesday afternoon.


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Evening Mission Briefing

Ohio TERT Team OH-1 received their Mission Briefing tonight. As of press time, they will be assigned to assist in Lee County, Florida. Committee Co-Chairs Mory Fuhrmann and Cody Post, Mission Team Lead Nick DiCicco, and Ohio APCO Chapter President Johnna Sells provided critical information asto the situation at hand. Also on hand were Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security Director Jeff Young and Ohio EMA Director Sima Merick to offer words of support and encouragement for the coming assignment.

The team is set to depart at 06:00 on Monday morning from Gahanna.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ohio TERT is part of the National Joint TERT Initiative. For media inquiries during their deployment, please contact Committee Co-Chair Mory Fuhrmann at fuhrmannm@mifflin-oh.gov, or Committee Member Adam Moledor at amoledor@southsummitdispatch.com

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Getting Ready To Go

Team personnel from the northern part of the state are preparing to head down to Gahanna for the briefing tonight. They are brining with them a Type-1 Mobile Communications Center from Chagrin Valley Dispatch, callsign HAVOC-1. This is a multi vectored capable unit, with the ability to function as a mobile PSAP, field command post, or personnel support unit.

Using a trailer loaned from Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security, personnel from Central Ohio are loading radio equipment and other technical components. This will also be carrying the team’s personnel gear, food, and water.

Team personnel from Ohio MARCS are seen here testing one of two generators that will travel with the team to Florida.

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Ohio TERT is part of the National Joint TERT Initiative. For media inquiries during their deployment, please contact Committee Co-Chair Mory Fuhrmann at fuhrmannm@mifflin-oh.gov, or Committee Member Adam Moledor at amoledor@southsummitdispatch.com

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Ohio TERT Deploys to Florida

Following the landfall of Hurricane Ian, and receipt of a request for help, a team of Ohio 911 dispatchers, radio technicians, and support personnel are heading to Florida to lend assistance.

The Ohio TERT Team, part of the Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce, are a group of public safety personnel from across Ohio who have volunteered for a 14-day deployment to assist local 911 centers, fire, EMS and law enforcement agencies whose own personnel have been on duty without break since Ian’s landfall near Cayo Costa on September 27th. Other TERT Teams from Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and others are also responding to Florida’s call for help.

The 18 member team is comprised of members from across the state, and includes personnel from centers in Strongsville, Gahanna, Urbana, Bedford, Westlake, North Lawrence, Franklin County, and the State of Ohio. They will be assigned to work 12 hour shifts in centers in the hardest hit part of Florida, to allow home agency personnel time to decompress, and address their own home situations, which were not immune from Ian’s impact.

Ohio TERT Committee Co-Chair Cody Post, who works for the City of Akron, said that the team’s goal is to assist their Florida counterparts in any way possible. “Our colleagues in Florida have endured quite a disaster, and the situation is still unfolding. Our aim, along with the other state TERT Teams, is to give the Florida dispatchers and technicians a chance to catch their breath, and figure out how their homes and loved ones fared during Ian.”

The team departs Monday morning from Gahanna, and expects to arrive in Florida on Tuesday afternoon.

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Ohio TERT is part of the National Joint TERT Initiative. For media inquiries during their deployment, please contact Committee Co-Chair Mory Fuhrmann at fuhrmannm@mifflin-oh.gov, or Committee Member Adam Moledor at amoledor@southsummitdispatch.com

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