EMA completes risks assessment, ADPH encourages flu vaccinations

Members of the Coffee County Emergency Management Agency, Alabama Department of Public Health and several local agencies came together for the Local Emergency Planning Committee’s all hazards meeting Jan. 9.

Coffee County EMA Deputy Director James Brown said several agencies have recently finished a joint effort to complete a Threats and Hazards Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) for the county, which is a new requirement of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The THIRA breaks down all of the potential disasters into naturally-occurring, technological and human-caused subgroups.  

“Then we ask, ‘how often does this occur in Coffee County and what is our vulnerability to it?,’” Brown said. “The THIRA identifies maximum threat or the worst case scenario for each possible disaster.”

Brown said the THIRA assigns numbers on a sliding scale to each disaster, with 26 being the least hazardous.

The EMA is currently working on an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) for the county, which assigns responsibility, sets authority and reconciles requirements with various jurisdictions during an emergency.

“The EOP gives everyone a job and keeps things organized,” Brown said. “Coffee County’s EOP uses the emergency support function format, which is the most compatible with federal government’s EOP, making it easy for outside assistance to transition into Coffee County during a disaster.

Brown said the EMA should be finished with the EOP by the end of March.

Cyndi Tereszkiewicz of the ADPH spoke during the meeting on the ongoing flu season.

“We’ve had quite a bit of activity with the flu in the state,” she said.

According to Tereszkiewicz, there were 21,000 cases of influenza reported in the United States as of Dec. 31, resulting in at least 18 pediatric deaths.

Tereszkiewicz said the H3N2 strain of the influenza virus is a particularly aggressive strain that is prominent this year

“It usually takes one to four days after you been exposed to start showing flu symptoms, but you can be contagious as soon as day after you’re exposed,” she said. “If you have had a fever, please stay home. Don’t go to work, school or even the grocery store.” 

Tereszkiewicz also recommended keeping a social distance when you know someone you’re around is sick.

“Be sure to cover your coughs and sneezes with your elbows and wash your hands often, for at least 20 seconds.”

Tereszkiewicz encouraged everyone to get vaccinated for the flu adding the height of flu season is January-February.

For more information on influenza in our area, contact the Area 10 Alabama Department of Public Health at 334-693-9716.