Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Williamsburg officials outline new emergency-alert approach as crews prep for winter storm
Summary
Chief Snyder told the City Council the Surry power station siren system has been removed and Dominion Energy now relies on IPAWS alerts and QR-coded magnets; public-works crews pretreated streets with brine and spread roughly 25 tons of salt-and-sand ahead of a forecasted winter storm.
Williamsburg — Chief Snyder told the Williamsburg City Council on Jan. 9 that Dominion Energy has moved the community’s emergency-notification strategy away from the Surry siren poles and toward cellphone alerts and printed materials that link to online resources.
"They obviously went to the IPAWS," Chief Snyder said, referring to the federal Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, adding that Dominion has also stopped distributing the printed Surry calendars. "What everybody should have received is a magnet…that magnet has a QR code that has a tremendous amount of information once you scan it." He said the city falls in "Zone 21" for protective-action guidance tied to the Surry facility.
Snyder framed January as an "emergency management month" and reviewed the city’s winter-storm preparations. He said public-works crews pretreated roads with about 2,300 gallons of brine and spread roughly 25 tons of salt-and-sand over a three-day period to keep streets and sidewalks passable. "We ended up putting about … 25 tons of salt and sand over the last 3 days," he said.
Public-works supervisor Jack Reed summarized plowing priorities: the city first clears major thoroughfares and routes to hospitals and essential facilities, then works outward to residential streets. Reed stressed the city does not plow private drives unless a formal agreement exists and cautioned that road surfaces can refreeze overnight: "No matter how good a job we've done clearing the street," ice can form when temperatures fall.
Council members thanked Snyder and public-works crews for the pre-storm work and asked about distribution of the magnets and further public outreach. Snyder said a limited supply of magnets is held at fire administration for distribution to residents who did not receive one.
The city did not take formal action on emergency-notification policy during the meeting. Officials said staff will continue monitoring sales-tax and visitation trends tied to downtown activity and will bring implementation questions about emergency outreach back to council as needed.
