Latest Headlines
- Five WaWa Stores In The Works For Escambia County. Here’s The List.
- Scattered Storms Likely Again Today
- Motorcyclist Critical After Jacks Branch Road Crash
- FDOT Plans Traffic Shift Thursday In Century Highway 29 Construction Zone
- Molino Man Charged With Throwing Object, Breaking Windshield Of Passing Car
- North Escambia Athletes Place In USA Volleyball Beach National Championships
- Santa Rosa Sheriff Issues Contractor Fraud Alert After Arrest
- Escambia Man Gets 10 Years On Firearms And Financial Racketeering Charges
- New Name, Same Fish: Largemouth Bass Are Now Florida Bass
- ECUA Considering Water, Sewer And Sanitation Rate Increases
Century Preps For Disasters With New Shelter, Transportation, Supplies
February 12, 2013
With the help of BRACE — the Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies — Century is getting disaster ready with a new designated shelter, transportation plans, free preparation supplies and more.
The American Red Cross has certified the Ag Building on West Highway 4 in Century for use as shelter for emergencies not including hurricanes. A power generator is being installed at the building for $6,000, almost completely funded with $5,500 in grant money, according to Mayor Freddie McCall. The building does not meet structural requirements for use as a hurricane shelter.
For hurricanes, the closest available shelter for Century residents will still be Northview High School. But many Century residents have complained for years that many without transportation would be unable to reach the shelter if they chose to evacuate their homes.
Greg Strader, founder of BRACE, said arrangements have been made with ECAT to transport Century residents to Northview, about eight miles away, in the event of a hurricane evacuation.
“They will deploy transportation assets as needed,” he said, “even pickup up residents at their homes.”
Bucket filled with a tarp, flashlight, radio and other supplies, known as “72-hour to go” kits, will also be made available to homebound Century residents through BRACE.
BRACE will also represent Century in the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center in the event of an activation during emergencies such has a hurricane, acting as liaison between the county and the town.
And coming up this summer, BRACE will offer Teen CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training at the Carver Community Center. CERT training includes basic disaster response skills like fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations. Over two dozen adult Century residents complete CERT training in 2011.
Pictured top: Greg Strader, founder of BRACE, addresses the Century Town Council as members Jacke Johnston (left) and Annie Savage (right) listen. Pictured inset: A “72-hour to go” kit for homebound residents. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
8 Responses to “Century Preps For Disasters With New Shelter, Transportation, Supplies”
Can anybody help me with this? I put red cross building certification in the search engine and came up with nuttin. Oh, I got the Cpr and life guard certification stuff ok ,,,,but nothing about building certification.,,being a former concrete and masonry contractor, I am really interested in this certification,,,,,, and please enlighten me,, what good is an emergency shelter if it cant keep out the most common emergency of our area the good ol hurricane? Emergency Shelter has a connotation to it! its dumb stuff like this that can cost lives during real emergencies.
My hats off to The Century Town Council and The Century Mayor in getting prepared for a Hurricane or Natural Disaster. Wish every town would get prepared.
Typical Century with its hand sticking out. They want bus service without having to pay for it.
1. Wonderful, they want their cake and eat it to. I don’t agree with the gas tax, but if you are going to benefit from a tax supported entity, then have some skin in the game and pay the gas tax. PERIOD!!!!
As a resident of Century and a Public Service Employee, I am very proud to have BRACE available to assist Century residents. BRACE’s purpose is to engage our community in disaster preparedness, response and recovery. Having a representative in the Emergency Operations Center to represent Century will mean we will have someone to assist us as a community, in all the horrors of dealing with a disaster. Teen CERT is a awesome organization to belong to, I hope the majority of Century teens will join Teen CERT. You will be able to assist your neighborhood in times of disasters, with training and commitment to serve your community. Teen CERT is an organization a teen can be proud to say they are a member of.
What entitles Century residents for special treatment from the county bus service??? There are plenty of people without transporation in Enon and Nokomis that are further away (20-25 miles) from the nearest shelter at Northview. What do we do? Walk?
Looks like Century won’t even pay the county gas tax for ECAT, but county residents will. But Century gets door to door service?
HA……talk about shooting yourself in the foot! They may find themselves last on the ECAT list when they need them most. I’m sure the rest of the county will get evacuation transportationn before Century…since ECAT doesn’t benefit the northern end of the county……hypocrites
If Century is making arrangements with ECAT, then they should have no problem agreeing to the gas tax to fund said transportation for their citizens