Commissioner Murman quoted in this NewsChannel 8 article on emergency communications:
Port of Tampa fire prompts review of citizen alert system
Posted: Aug 09, 2013 5:03 PM EDT Updated: Aug 09, 2013 5:36 PM EDT
NewsChannel 8
After a fire at the Port of Tampa led to a warning for people in parts of downtown to stay indoors, a Hillsborough county commissioner is calling for a review of the system to alert people of an emergency.
“I believe we can improve upon what we have and reach more people,” said Sandra Murman, who also sits on the board of the Port Authority.
Murman wants a review of the process involving the port, the county, city and emergency responders that kicks in when there is an incident. She said response to the fire and chemical fumes Thursday worked well, but raised questions about how to reach people in a more serious situation when authorities would use a siren to spread the word about an inhalation hazard.
“I don’t think people are taking serious when the horn blows, and I’m not sure they even know what it means,” Murman said.
The siren system is designed to be heard from a mile away and is used to alert people in surrounding areas about an inhalation hazard like ammonia, which is on site at the port.
Thursday’s incident didn’t require those sirens. It involved a fire at a tank that held sulfur and the release of sulfur dioxide. The blaze was extinguished using a fire suppression system in the tank.
“We responded with Tampa Fire Rescue to the scene to try to determine what impact it would have on the port, not only from a health and safety issue but from a traffic issue,” said Mark Dubina, vice president of security at the port. “We rely on that fire department at that point to tell us what the danger is and what our response should be.”
Ultimately, authorities put out word that people in areas on the south side of downtown Tampa should stay inside because of the chemical fumes that could cause eye and throat irritations.
In situations like that, an agency – in that case the fire rescue team – becomes the “incident commander,” Dubina said.
Port security officials and tenants train for incidents and also hold “after actions” to discuss what happened and any changes that need to be made for the future, he said. Those who handle ammonia at the port also meet monthly.
In Thursday’s incident, the city of Tampa sent out messages to those who signed up for the “Alert Tampa” system.
User can sign up on the city’s website. That system also has the ability to initiate reverse 911 calls, a Tampa city spokeswoman said.
