CHARLESTON COUNTY, SC (WCSC) -
As peak hurricane season approaches, the City of Charleston is focused on preparations. A "Hurricane Preparedness Exercise" was held on Thursday morning and included staff from all areas of city government including fire, police, human resources, parks and recreation, finance and IT.
The exercise was led by the city's new Emergency Management Director, Shannon Scaff. The group went over scenarios 72, 48 and 24 hours before a Category 4 storm hits as well as what to do when it hits.
One of the scenarios asked staff members what they would do if the Ashley River Bridge was permanently stuck in the "up" position. They talked about getting police and fire resources out on the roads to divert traffic and also talked about how it would affect response times in emergencies.
"This tabletop exercise is very new to me," Scaff said. "It's a departure from what I experienced in the Coast Guard and it's been a great learning opportunity for me today."
Mayor John Tecklenburg asked for the exercise to be held and said it's needed especially in our area.
"We always want to be prepared and what we realized is what a collaboration is required among our city staff and community partners," Tecklenburg said.
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