Public Notices

BURGAW – Pender County Emergency Management released its Hurricane Florence After Action Report. The report, which required the work of more than 70 participants and six committees, outlines strengths and actions for improvement.

“Hurricane Florence is our new benchmark in first response,” said Randell Woodruff, Pender County manager. “The After Action Report details the steps we need to take as a county to improve as the nature of our storms change.”

Hurricane Florence, a storm that was just shy of being a Category 2 hurricane, dropped up to 40 inches of rain in some portions of Pender County, resulting in mass flooding.

“Florence stalled over Pender County,” said Collins. “Our response to more than 1,850 rescue missions was stellar. But we’re never satisfied. We’re always looking for ways to improve.”

The report outlines strengths and improvements in six areas – communications, debris management, shelters, asset management, Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and operations, and training and staff.

Strengths included the response and preparation of emergency management officials and first responders; public information and the use of multiple platforms to disseminate updates and warnings; the collaboration of county agencies; and distribution and planning for the county’s fuel needs during and after the storm.

The areas of improvement included identification and training of essential EOC staff; the need for reconfiguration of the EOC for improved efficiency; debris management and timelines; shelter planning and training to improve functionality of temporary shelters.

“We’ve started working on many of the areas identified in the report,” said Collins.

The EOC has been reconfigured, training sessions have been underway since July, and plans have been drawn to house more emergency staffing during an extreme storm event.

“We are vigilant to improve while remaining prudent with our spending,” said Woodruff.

The report is available online here.

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7.18.19 AAR Florence

BURGAW – Pender County EMS and Fire received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold Plus Award for implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks.

“This is the second year Pender EMS and Fire has received the highest award for Mission: Lifeline,” said Woodrow Sullivan, Pender EMS and Fire Chief.

Every year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the deadliest type of heart attack caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart. This requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication.

“We focus on the training requirement to determine early recognition and transport to the proper facility,” said David Dudding, Pender EMS and Fire’s training battalion chief. “A patient experiencing this type of episode has a 90-minute window to receive the proper treatment. We train with the knowledge that time is of the essence.”

The Mission: Lifeline EMS recognition program honors emergency medical services for their efforts in improving systems of care to rapidly identify suspected heart attack patients, promptly notify the medical center and trigger an early response from the awaiting hospital personnel.

Pender EMS and Fire provides optimal care for heart attack patients,” said Sullivan. “We are pleased to be recognized – for the second year – for our dedication and achievements in emergency medical care efforts through Mission: Lifeline.”

“EMTs and paramedics play a vital part in the system of care for those who have heart attacks,” said Tim Henry, M.D. chair of the Mission: Lifeline Acute Coronary Syndrome subcommittee. “Since they often are the first medical point of contact, they can save precious minutes of treatment by activating the emergency response system that alerts hospitals to an incoming heart attack patient. We applaud Pender EMS and Fire for achieving this award in following evidence-based guidelines in the treatment of people who have severe heart attacks.”

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The Pender County Fire Marshal announced the lifting of the County burning ban effective today, Monday, June 10, 2019 at 5pm.

Persons choosing to burn must still use caution. Fire officials recommend that anyone burning have resources immediately available to control their fire. Those resources include water hoses, buckets of water, and hand tools. Should a fire become out of control, individuals need to immediately contact the local fire department for assistance by calling 911.

The lifting of the burning ban will allow for individuals to utilize open burning for disposal of vegetative debris that has been generated on their property. This includes items such as leaves, straw, lawn clippings, shrubbery clippings, and sticks and branches. Garbage, lumber, building materials, cardboard paper and rubber are never allowed to be burned. These items must be disposed of at solid waste convenience sites located throughout the county. Anyone found to be burning non-vegetative will be cited for illegal burning.

Persons needing more information about open burning regulations in Pender County can contact the Pender County Fire Marshal at 910-259-1210 or the Pender County Headquarters for the NC Division of Forest Resources at 910-259-7251. Websites at www.penderem.com or www.ncforestservice.gov

BURGAW – Pender County Board of Commissioners and the county’s emergency management personnel are reviewing a proposed plan to bring an AM radio station online.

“When a major storm blows into the Pender County region and power is lost, an AM station is a solution to reach the entire county during an emergency,” said Tom Collins, Pender County Emergency manager.

Covering a county that is more than 900 square miles is no easy task. It will take three stationary antenna and two portable units to reach the entire county with an emergency message.

“The frequencies are licensed by the FCC and approved,” said Collins.

Commissioners like the idea of a county-wide emergency system that will be operated from one control station, with the ability to change messages quickly. The system the commissioners reviewed allows the same message to appear on the county website or in text format.

The system costs more than $285,000. The system offers a lifetime warranty, installation, three fixed antenna, frequency stabilizer, wireless links for transmissions and receiving, solar powered portable stations, boosters, and more.

Collins said the broadcast station would transmit reliable emergency alerts before, during, and after a natural disaster.

“When cell phone batteries fail and the power is out, the old fashioned transmission radio is a reliable tool to receive emergency information,” said George Brown, chairman of the Pender County Board of Commissioners.

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