IEM in the News
Interpreter machine donated to Western Tidewater Free Clinic in Suffolk
WAVY – The staff at the Western Tidewater Free Clinic in Suffolk have been a busy team since COVID-19 restrictions were loosened in Virginia. With more patients coming in, they also recently found the need for a new language interpreter. Before this, the machine was at one of Suffolk’s mass vaccination clinics run by AshBritt-IEM Health, to help people communicate about their shots.
Jackson County cities adopt evacuation zones
Ashland Tidings – Nearly one month after fire season was declared for southwest Oregon, Jackson County municipalities are in the midst of rapid revisions to emergency operations plans, and several have rolled out new evacuation zones to better manage disaster situations. Cities in Jackson County are accountable for emergency response within their limits and have individual emergency operations plans, said Jackson County Administrator Danny Jordan. A recently released report on fire response compiled by Innovative Emergency Management commended rapid multi-agency response, mass evacuations and shelter setup, and creation of live evacuation maps, but criticized communication breakdowns between officials and the public.
VDH mobile vaccine clinics reach more communities as vaccination rate decreases
CBS WTKR – This week, the Virginia Department of Health is making it easier to get vaccinated in Portsmouth. As the vaccination rate decreases, the health department is using mobile clinics to reach more people. The mobile vaccine clinics are run by the VDH, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and its contractor, AshBritt – IEM.
Independent review looks at strengths and weaknesses in Jackson County’s fire response
KTVL – During the meeting, Krista Houk manager for state and local preparedness at IEM noted that she hoped the report can help bring at least a small amount of closure to those affected by the fire in knowing that the county is doing what it can to improve readiness. “We want to acknowledge the residents who may be listening in this morning and we know that the recovery is long and we’ve spent time hearing a lot of stories and we would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge that loss and know that we hope in some small way that what we present in the findings can help the county continue to enhance and improve moving forward,” Houk said.
Report Analyzes Jackson County’s Almeda Fire Response, Calls For Better Coordination
Jefferson Public Radio – IEM’s report says dispatchers were frantically fielding a high volume of calls from residents and officials who were looking for information about whether they should evacuate. But even dispatchers didn’t know what to tell them. “Many times, the information received by dispatchers was incomplete or inaccurate, and dispatchers spent valuable time deconflicting and confirming information,” it reads.
Report Evaluates Jackson County’s Response to Almeda, South Obenchain Fires
KDRV – IEM looked at the Almeda Fire, South Obenchain Fire, and two smaller brush fires that started in the Central Point area while the two larger fires were still burning. “Considering the rapid movement of the fire, the close proximity of the fire to large residential areas, and the necessary closures to main transportation arteries, the limited loss of life and the ability to quickly establish shelter to support evacuated residents is a testament to the quick coordination and strong relationships among fire officials, law enforcement, Jackson County agencies, state agencies, community organizations, and the communities in which they serve,” IEM said in the executive summary of the report.
Jackson County to Receive Independent Review of Almeda Fire Response Wednesday
KDRV – The County contracted IEM in December to review and analyze steps Jackson County agencies took and did not take in response to four fires in the County during the month of September, 2020. The Almeda Fire and the South Obenchain Fire started September 8; two other small fires in Central Point and a location near Costco are also included in IEM’s review. The consultant’s report accompanies a presentation to County Commissioners during their meeting which starts at 9 a.m.
Mobile vaccination clinic bringing shots to Hampton Roads region
WAVY – The stops are strategic and located in communities that are heavily frequented and easy to access. “It’s important from a community equity standpoint and accessibility of not maybe necessarily getting out to a facility or inside a facility. It basically allows us to bring the shots to them,” said Jason Fawcett, who is the vice president of operations for AshBritt-IEM Health. That accessibility is what Gail and Al Pebworth to the clinic’s site outside of a Chesapeake Dollar Tree.
Sky-High Lumber Prices Jeopardize Housing Affordability
Bipartisan Policy Center – As America begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the housing market has been resilient. Housing demand is extremely strong and home values are rising in markets across the country, providing a significant boost to the U.S. economy. But these positive trends should not obscure a problem with major implications for homeownership access and affordability: the acute shortage of the lumber needed to build new single-family homes and apartments.
Fayetteville, Cumberland plan to give more than $9.58 million through new rent assistance program
The Fayetteville Observer – The program will now be administered by Innovative Emergency Management Inc. According to agenda documents from the commissioners meeting, among the many reasons the city and county decided to use one application system was to take the stress away from the application process, so those applying don’t have to figure out which jurisdiction they live in and so assistance can go through quickly.
