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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: March 2, 2006 <br />Action Agend~ <br />Item No. <br />SUBJECT: Authorize Emergency Preparedness Grant Application to Blue Cross/Blue <br />Shield of North Carolina Foundation <br />DEPARTMENT: Emergency Management PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT (S): <br />-Grant Application and Supporting INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Documents Jack Ball, 968-2050 <br />-Partial List of Notification System Users <br />Across State <br />PURPOSE: To authorize the Department of Emergency Management to submit a grant <br />application to the Blue Cross/ Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation far the purpose of <br />implementing an emergency telephone notification system. <br />BACKGROUND: In response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of <br />North Carolina Foundation implemented a grant program in FY2005-06 for the purpose of <br />emergency preparedness in North Carolina. The Foundation has made available competitive <br />grants up to $50,000 each to non-profits and governmental entities across North Carolina to <br />offer new emergency preparedness activities for vulnerable populations, There is $300,000 in <br />funding available for this program. <br />The Department of Emergency Management learned of the grant offering on .)anuary 10, 2006 <br />and began speaking with its partners within the County that serve vulnerable populations to <br />determine the best grant request to improve our emergency preparedness. It was determined <br />that a telephone notification system, commonly called by its brand name, "Reverse 9-1-1 ," <br />would be the most effective project request. <br />During the October 3`d work sessicn, the Board of Commissioners expressed interest in the <br />Department of Emergency Management exploring such a system and its benefits to Orange <br />County residents. Staff identified that the notification system could be used to call its vulnerable <br />residents, such as those on the Department of Social Services special needs registry, the <br />registry maintained by the Department on Aging, and the call down tree developed by the <br />Immigrant Emergency Communications Committee, which handles the Non-English speaking <br />populations. <br />