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Re: County's emergency management procedures solid - and improving, by Pinellas County emergency management director Gary Vickers, Oct. 16.
When I read Vickers' comments about the Pinellas County Comprehensive Emergency Plan, I was relieved. We will not be like New Orleans. We do have plans to use our buses, both the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority and school buses, to provide transportation for those without vehicles and those with special needs.
But I also have heard that only a handful of people have registered with the county for bus transportation. This is a serious epidemic. When I checked the county emergency management Web site, I couldn't locate an online form to register people or even the phone number to call. But this isn't totally the government's responsibility. Real success depends on personal responsibility.
We have organizations to do this job. Can our cities' Neighborhood Services step up and target the areas needing bus transportation? Will the pastors and leaders of the recent, highly successful Carefest in Clearwater engage their congregations? Will other faith-based organizations, especially those with significant numbers of folks needing transportation, organize volunteers to contact members and nonmembers and register them? Will the neighborhood and homeowners associations register folks?
How about going neighbor to neighbor? Hey, what about you? You likely know someone who is without transportation. You may live in or near an area where there are people without transportation. Phone or visit them and register them. You register people for hurricane evacuation by calling your local fire department.
I made my first telephone call recently. Let's light the fireworks and show that we care. We can be an example of leadership and caring, and, just maybe, we can encourage other communities to follow.