Elected officials and staff from Camden County and the cities of Kingsland, St. Marys, and Woodbine made decisions based on the impacts of a fictitious “Hurricane Casey” making landfall along the Georgia-Florida border. Camden County Department of Family and Children Services, Camden County Health Department, Camden County Schools, and the Camden County Sheriff’s Office joined in the simulation that was in conjunction with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) State Operations Center and other coastal Georgia counties.
“Each year there is a very real chance for Camden County to receive impacts from a tropical storm or hurricane,” said Camden County EMA Director Chuck White. “The exercise tests our readiness to take the necessary steps and make difficult decisions needed for the safety of our community.”
The exercise focused on the critical decisions that would need to be made in preparation for the storm through the immediate aftermath. Among the issues discussed and exercised were:
- Evacuation and Re-Entry for the special needs population;
- Damage Assessments;
- Communications;
- Search and Rescue;
- Mass Care Housing and Human Services;
- Resource Support to Local Governments; and the
- Executive Policy Group.
The exercise provided participants with a real-world scenario designed to test both the abilities of Camden County EMA and partner organizations and agencies to operate in preparation and response to a hurricane or tropical storm.
Staff from Camden County and the cities of Kingsland, St. Marys, and Woodbine work with external partner agencies as part of a response to Hurricane Casey.