Agenda - 06-03-2003 - 8j - Laserfiche WebLink

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Background Orange County is a progressive county encompassing 400 square miles within the central region of North Carolina. The county is bordered by the counties of Alamance to the west, Durham to the east, Person to the north, and Chatham to the south. An eclectic mixture of rural and urban areas provide interesting challenges to emergency planning. Orange County's 119,894 residents, a 1.4% increase over one year, inhabit two cities, and four townships, as well as the unincorporated areas. (2001 U.S. Census est.) From 1990 to 2000, the county has experienced an explosive population growth of 26.2%, compared with 21.4% for the rest of the state. (2000 U.S. Census). This creates a population density of 295.7 persons per square mile. Special events within the county continually attract visitors. The county is home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which draws over 60,000 citizens and visitors during sporting and entertainment events. Street fairs such as Hog Day in Hillsborough and Apple Chill in Chapel Hill average 20,000 or more attendees. The largest and most hazardous event occurs during the annual Chapel Hill Halloween bash which brought over 70,000 revelers on Franklin Street last year. Purpose The purpose of this grant is to update the county Multi-hazard Plan. Goals • Ensure essential county services are provided during and after a disaster. • Ensure that the Emergency Operations Center operates at peak effectiveness. Objectives • Identify critical services provided by the county. • Identify impediments to the provision of those services through vulnerability and risk assessments. • Identify critical positions with knowledge, skills, and abilities responsible for providing the essential services. • Create Continuity of Government provisions for the departments that provide those services within the Multi-hazard Plan. • Conduct field research to update emergency responder staging areas and alternate operating locations • Revise the Emergency Operations Center section.