# Presentation: 113865

## Hurricanes Charley, Frances  & JeanneLessons Learned

**	****	****	****	****	****              ****ERCM Training**
**Orange County Public Schools ****	****	****              February 1, 2005 ****	**
**Orlando, Florida****	****	****	****             San Francisco, California** **   **

## Orange County Public Schools

**12****th**** largest school district in the nation**
**Student enrollment 174,095 in 164 schools**
**108 elementary schools**
** ****48 secondary schools**
**   ****8 special/post-secondary**
**24,063 employees**
**28 new schools in 5 year Capital Outlay Plan**

**Orange County Public Schools**
**Orlando, Florida**

## Orange County Public Schools
Orlando, Florida

**Orlando, Florida**

**Hurricane Donna – 1960 – Orlando’s last direct hit!**

**Orange County has historically served as a "host" county to coastal evacuees**
**OCPS is the largest provider of shelter space within the Central Florida region**
**OCPS staff is assigned to work in the  county Emergency Operations Center**
**Principals assign teams of "shelter coordinators"**

## The scene at dismissal Friday August 13th had school not been cancelled...

**Orange County Public Schools**
**Orlando, Florida**

**...Hurricane Charley arrives in Orlando**

## What we saw Saturday August 14th...

**Orange County Public Schools**
**Orlando, Florida**

**Orange County Public Schools**
**Orlando, Florida**

**Orange County Public Schools**
**Orlando, Florida**

**Orange County Public Schools**
**Orlando, Florida**

**Orange County Public Schools**
**Orlando, Florida**

**Orange County Public Schools**
**Orlando, Florida**

## Damage AssessmentNo school untouched...all 164 had damage

**103 required debris removal**
**90 had canopy/awning damage**
**87 had portable damage**
**87 had ceiling tile damage**
**80 were without electrical power**
**75 had miscellaneous damage to guttering, downspouts and window screens**
**72 had roof damage**
**43 had exterior siding and door damage**
**41 had damage to floor covering**
**39 had interior damage to furniture and equipment**
**35 had damage to interior walls, doors, windows**
**27 had damage to lighting fixtures**
**24 had damage to HVAC systems**

**Orange County Public Schools**
**Orlando, Florida**

## Hurricane FrancesFriday September 3rd 

**Orange County Public Schools**
**Orlando, Florida**

**...and then, 3 weeks later**

## Hurricane JeanneSaturday September 25th 

**and 3 weeks after that...**
**NO...NOT AGAIN !**

**Orange County Public Schools**
**Orlando, Florida**

## Charley, Frances and Jeanne 12 days of instructional time lost during the first 7 weeks of the school year...

**Orange County Public Schools**
**Orlando, Florida**

| Hurricane | Dates Lost | Total |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Charley
August 13 | August 13, 16-20 & 23 | 
7 days |
| Frances
September 3 | September 3, & 7-8 | 
3 days |
| Jeanne
September 25 | September 27 & 28 | 
2 days |

## Lessons Learned - Communication

**District emergency information number was widely used and should be expanded**
**Multiple communication methods prior to storm was successful (email, voice mail, phone greetings)**
**Standard message was posted on all school marquees announcing return date(s!)**
**Landline telephone, cable TV and cellular communications were intermittent for days**
**Media announcements were coordinated in the Emergency Operations Center and delivered during press briefings**
**800 MHz radios programmed to operate on county-wide public safety net were essential and should be expanded**

**Orange County Public Schools**
**Orlando, Florida**

## Lessons Learned - Facilities

**Mutual aid from other school districts (Lake, Broward, West Palm)...no reimbursement from FEMA without formal board-approved agreement**
**Use of contractors vs. employees?**
**Superintendent’s waiver of bid requirements to allow emergency repairs was essential to timely recovery**

**Response by key vendors and contractors hampered by heavy demand for their services throughout the state**
**Damage assessment checklists were completed by school staff and faxed directly to maintenance**

**Orange County Public Schools**
**Orlando, Florida**

## Lessons Learned - Community Support

**Availability of generators and fuel to run them**
**Staff assigned to work in county Emergency Operations Center**

**Schools serve as distribution points and buildings/grounds are in demand**
**Schools used as shelters require support over and above that provided by Red Cross**
**6,000 evacuees in 12 schools during Charley and over 11,000 in 24 schools during Jeanne**
**Facilities maintenance tech assigned to support each school shelter for emergency repairs was very beneficial**

**Orange County Public Schools**
**Orlando, Florida**

## Lessons Learned - Employee Issues

**Payroll run and check distribution...encourage Direct Deposit!**
**Confusion over who reports post-storm**

**Little flexibility in school calendar**
**District administrators assisted schools hit hardest upon return**
**During shut-down, applicants arrived for scheduled meetings**
**Accurate accounting of overtime for hourly employees**
**Employees as shelter managers vs. coordinators**
**3 storms in 7 weeks strained essential employees**
**Daycare was provided for children of employees working recovery phase**

**Orange County Public Schools**
**Orlando, Florida**

## Lessons Learned - Power Issues

**Storage of perishable food**
**How to pump gas at at transportation compounds without power?**
**Phased power restoration**
**Back-up batteries in fire and burglar alarm panels fail in long-term power outage**

**Sewage lift stations don’t lift!**
**Attempt during Charley to keep all district network systems up...decision to take them down during Frances and Jeanne**

**Orange County Public Schools**
**Orlando, Florida**

## Lessons Learned - Debris

**Large quantities of debris created hazardous walking conditions to schools**
**Storm displaced rodents and pests**
**Debris piles harbored snakes and rats**

**Bus routes were also adversely affected by debris**
**Dry runs of bus routes to determine accessibility was valuable to public works and district route planners**

**Orange County Public Schools**
**Orlando, Florida**

## Michael S. Ganio, Senior ManagerSecurity Compliance, Emergency Preparedness and TrainingOrange County Public Schools, Orlando Florida