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City Council is on break for the next 3 weeks. Instead of our regular coverage we will have a deep dive article each week. Have a request for a future deep dive? Drop it into this week’s survey.

This Week’s Top Agenda Items

• April 29 storm debrief reveals scale of emergency assistance demands
• City, County officials outline gaps in emergency response
• Addressing the City’s fleet management crisis

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April 29 storm debrief reveals scale of emergency assistance demands

• City and County officials spoke at a July 23 Post Agenda Meeting covering the April 29 severe storm and next steps for general emergency preparedness.
• 911 systems overwhelmed
  • County Emergency Services Chief Brown said the region’s 911 systems received 25,000 calls in the first four hours, which is the daily average for the entire state of Pennsylvania.
    • In the first hour of the storm, 911 received 6,700 calls. One minute within that first hour totaled over 1,000 calls.
    • While 911 itself did not go down, overwhelmed cellular networks functionally made it unavailable.
• Emergency Response aided by support from community organisations
  • Volunteers from the nonprofit Team Rubicon assisted in clearing debris to create access to vulnerable populations, such as disabled and elderly community members.
  • Team Rubicon, the Salvation Army and the County’s Department of Health and Human Services provided food for residents who were unable to leave their homes while they were without power.
  • City Emergency Management Planner Hausman said the City was able to loan "grab and go" oxygen tanks from the mass disaster supply to residents who did not have power for their oxygen generators.
• There will be a Post Agenda Meeting on September 18 which will cover Duquesne Light’s storm response.

City, County officials outline emergency response gaps

• Councilmembers Kail-Smith, Strassburger and Charland expressed frustration during the same Post Agenda that Council wasn’t kept informed of what was happening after the April 29 storm, nor were they given a specific point person to contact.
  • Councilmember Strassburger suggested the possibility of having a designated Council member who would receive and share information in an emergency.
• There is a voluntary, one-day training available for elected and appointed officials to give them foundational knowledge in emergency protocols.
  • Chief Jones said that, historically, Council members have—at best—sent an intern to the training. He added that the current City administration is the first to participate in Jones’s 18 years working for the City.
• Changes, needs and next steps:
  • Planner Hausman said the City has doubled its supply of the “grab and go” oxygen cylinders that do not require electricity to function.
  • A top priority is making sure all fire, EMS and police stations have generators as well as other facilities used in emergencies such as rec centers.
  • Furthering community relationships so that vulnerable residents know how to access assistance, such as for food. (The Department of Sustainability and Resilience)
  • Chief Jones acknowledged the need for social media and text updates to include languages other than English.
• Chiefs Brown and Jones and Assistant Director Marion relayed actions the public can do to increase their safety:
  • Pay attention to the weather forecast and turn on alert notifications on your devices.
  • Make plans for if you lose power and/or cell service.
  • Have 72 hours of medicine, oxygen, non-perishable food and water on hand.
  • Keep medical equipment, such as oxygen generators, as well as phoness charged.
• Consider participating in Community Emergency Response Team training.
• Know who your vulnerable neighbors are and check on them in the event of an emergency.

Addressing the City’s fleet management crisis ★

• A May 6 Post Agenda Meeting revealed the dire state of both the EMS and fire fleets.
  • It also brought to light that it would take $10–15 million per year to appropriately maintain the vehicle fleet across all City departments. The five‑year budget outlook, however, allows for only $3 million per year for fleet investment.
• This week Council approved steps to increase Council oversight of vehicle fleets across all City departments.
• They hope oversight will help better manage resources, including purchasing new vehicles instead of repeatedly spending exorbitant amounts on repairing the same vehicles over and over.
• The amendment requires the Fleet Services Senior Manager, in collaboration with the Equipment Leasing Authority, to submit an annual report ahead of Council creating the next year’s budget.
• The report will include items such as a detailed inventory of vehicles, annual maintenance and repair costs per vehicle and a list of any vehicles whose maintenance cost is 30% of the original purchase price in the prior calendar year.