HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 08-23-2011 - 9aORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: August 23, 2011
Action Agenda
Item No. q - a
SUBJECT: County Assistance to Fire Departments for Public Outreach
DEPARTMENT: Emergency Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
Clerk to the Board
ATTACHMENT(S):
Sample Newspaper Advertisement
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Frank Montes de Oca, Emergency
Services, 245-6100
David Hunt, Clerk's Office, 245-2130
PURPOSE: To receive a report on, and provide feedback in follow-up to the Board's
suggestion that the County assist area fire departments with communications and public
outreach.
BACKGROUND: At the Board's June 9, 2011 budget work session discussion occurred
regarding the County providing assistance to fire departments with public outreach. Staff from
several County departments have since met and initially discussed the multitude of variables
involved with this effort. Based on that preliminary discussion, some of the following items are
presented with additional questions for possible clarification.
Fire departments serving Orange County residents fall into multiple categories. Seven
departments are primarily rural. Three departments serve municipal areas, with two of these
serving both inside city limits and beyond city limits. Two departments are located outside of
Orange County, but serve residents within Orange County. Some of the fire departments within
Orange County serve areas beyond Orange County.
While Orange County provides tax collection, tax rate approval, fund distribution and auditing
follow-up to the fire departments, governance of those departments is by the Board of Directors
of each respective department (or town board).
Communication methods offered by Orange County would supplement communication tools
and methods currently used by the fire departments to communicate with their residents in their
respective districts. All but one of the fire departments independently maintains a website
and/or a Facebook page.
This introduction to communication options will provide Board members with an opportunity to
provide guidance to staff. It will also allow Board members to identify benefits, concerns and
needs related to communications for the fire departments.
Potentia{ tools and methods for communications include:
• Add specific information to the current Emergency Services web page for all
emergency partners;
• Send alert messages using CodeRED®, (an emergency alerting system
currently used by Emergency Services to send emergency phone messages
based on geographic location);
• Provide media training for designated fire department members;
• Expand Orange County Geographic Information Systems (GIS) services to
include and display fire department Insurance Services Office (ISO) ratings
and fire district tax rate;
• Develop and implement a citizen's "self-serve" web-based feature providing
ISO and fire protection information;
• Fire department annual business meetings added to the Orange County
Boards and Commissions online public meeting calendar (based on fire
department information submissions);
• Provide fire department information through Emergency Services' social
media tools, Facebook and Twitter; and
• Provide fire department information on Orange County's Time Warner Cable
digital channel 180
Staff seeks input from the Board related to which Orange County department will maintain fire
department content on the Orange County website. Staff recommends the project be a
combined effort between Orange County Emergency Services, the Clerk to the Board of County
Commissioners' Office .and Orange County Information Technologies.
Announcements could include: non-emergency alerts; public outreach messages such as
annual business meeting announcements; and public safety messages such as "replace
batteries in your smoke detector".
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Financial impact can be determined pending direction from the Board.
As the County moves forward with this effort, there may be costs related to software and
training personnel.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board receive this information
and consider further discussion at the work session on September 13, 2011 with the fire chiefs
and fire department board chairs.
THE NEWS OF ORANGE COUNTY I T
.~_., __
2500 orvisitwww.hillsboroughartscouna7.org.
s 'MOTIF'
Ongoing through. Sunday, Juiy 24, The public is
invited tQ the opening reception for"Matif,° pottery by Garry Childs
and paintings by Pat Merriman and i.inda Carmel, at the. Hillsborough
Gallery of Arts,121 N. Churton St.The gallery's regular hours are 11
a.m.tob p.m. Monday through Thursday, l1~ a.m.to 8 p.m. Friday and
Saturday,and 1 to 4 p.m.5unday. For more information, call 732-5001
orvisit www.hillsboroughgalleryeom.
'35 YEARS OF:INSpIRATION'
.Wednesday, Aug. 24~It's a very special exhibition
celebrating 35~years of inspiration;Nancy Tuttle May's paintings are
1n collections worldwlde;and this exhibition will feature her newest
maed-media u~ork on canvas. Her most:recent work has layers of
depth aeated by her signature collage technique utilizing aaylic,•
gold.leafpowders,oil sGdcs,marbledust and more.May's paintings
deftly use colorand form to aeate.abstra~Eworks of such soul and
substance as towin aveithe mosfdie-hard representational art lover.
ENO Gallery,located at 100 S.Churton St.,will•hostthe exhibition.For
more information, cal1.883-1415, email enogallery@gmail.com or ,:
see CALENDAR page 8
WN
' Annual
Meeting
Orange bra
Company
6800
Orange Greve Rd
loon, July 11, 2010
7:00 pm
For Info: 061.585
& COUN
T ~ WEDN
ESDAY, JULY G, 2011 3
Computers, Computer Equipment and Televisions .
are BANNED from NC landfills starting July 1, 2011
Orange County residents, businesses, and other non-residential entities
can RECYCLE electronics at the Orange County L~indfill •
1594 Eubanks Rd. Chapel Hill
Monday -Friday 7:00 am -.4:00 pm ~ Saturday 7:30 -12:00 noon
Cal! ahead wlth Large loads!
Orange County.residents only can bring all electronics and
. electronic media to Solid Waste Convenience Cen#ers;• Visit
www.co.oran e.nc.uslrec clip Icenters.as
for locations an hours.`
Electronics Include: computers, monitors, mice, keyboards, televisions, ipoas,
scanners, printers, spe2kers, cables, copiers, cell phones, telephones, stereos,
fax machines, CD and DVD players, .cassette players, VCF~s AND electronic
media such as cassette and VHS tapes, CD's, DVD's, and their~cases.
Orange County recycled 1,000,000 pounds of electronics last dear.
` ~: Orarlg®County Solid Waste Management
(919)968.2788
recycltng~co.orange.nc.us