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County staff: new joint crisis communications plan will not replace Alert Durham
Summary
Deputy Chief Nate Sanders told commissioners the proposed joint crisis communications plan is designed to coordinate city and county messaging and establish a Joint Information Center during emergencies; he stressed it "does not replace Alert Durham."
Deputy Chief Nate Sanders, Durham County deputy chief for emergency management, briefed the board on a joint crisis communications plan intended to coordinate city and county communications during emergency operations.
The plan would establish joint protocols, designate public information officers for an activated Emergency Operations Center and create a Joint Information Center structure. Sanders emphasized the proposal is a communications coordination plan and does not replace the county's mass-notification system: "It does not replace, Alert Durham," he told the board. The plan is intended to complement Alert Durham (Rave Alert) by aligning messaging and designating responsibilities across agencies during crises.
County staff described the vendor-provided communications-planning work: writing the communications plan, training staff, and helping both city and county teams operate from a common approach in multi-jurisdiction incidents. The board requested follow-up details; staff agreed to provide additional information as part of regular emergency-management briefings.
What happens next: Staff will continue to develop the joint plan with city partners, identify training timelines and confirm the role of the JIC and designated PIOs during exercise and activation.
