Hurricane Season: Are You Ready?

The official start of the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season is June 1, and the South Florida District Emergency Management Team (EMT) is prepared to weather any storm. 

Under the leadership of District Manager Jeffery A. Taylor and Emergency Manager Michael Vecchitto, the EMT includes postal officials and Postal Inspectors. On May 5, National Preparedness Specialist Teresa Parrett coordinated a hurricane preparedness tabletop exercise in the District Office to ensure that each team member understood their roles in an emergency.

Just as you have an Emergency Action Plan to protect your family and secure your property, the EMT has a multitude of tasks assigned in the Integrated Emergency Management Plan (IEMP) and its Hurricane Guide which outlines specific preparedness, response, and recovery actions as Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The mission of the EMT is to ensure your safety and well-being as the Postal Service restores operations and service as quickly as possible following a tropical storm or a hurricane.

During an emergency such as a tropical storm or a hurricane, the EMT relies on the Postal Alert Notification System (PANS), a web-based and wireless communications mechanism, to coordinate tasks and record actions taken before, during, and after a weather event. Throughout the season (June 1 – November 30), EMT members monitor National Hurricane Center (NHC) advisories 24/7. Based on these weather forecasts, the team communicates through meetings and teleconferences to make operational decisions. This information is then messaged on the National Employee Emergency Hotline.

The National Employee Emergency Hotline (1-888-EMERGNC or 1-888-363-7462) is the official source of information for weather issues, work schedule changes, and facility status. Enter this number into your cell phone for easy access.

Enhancements to the hotline have created a more interactive process to account for employees’ safety. If you evacuate a relocate due to an emergency, call the hotline number, and then press “5” after entering your facility ZIP Code. You will be routed to an individual who can verify that you are in a safe environment. These individuals will relay the employee information to District and Area leadership.

If you use Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS), call a Florida TRS toll-free number, and the TRS operator will interact with the hotline application on your behalf. Through the use of highly-trained operators, calls can be made 24/7, 365 days a year allowing Florida residents who are in need of services to connect and communicate with anyone at any time.

The simplest way to access the variety of Florida Relay services available is to dial 7-1-1. If the phone from which you are calling does not accept 7-1-1, TRS has a list of dedicated toll-free numbers for each call-type that you can utilize.

TTY
800-955-8771
If you are using TTY equipment

Voice   
800-955-8770   
If you are a standard (voice) user, and are trying to connect with a Relay user.
         
ASCII
800-955-1339
If you are utilizing a computer

Voice Carry Over (VCO)
877-955-8260
If you prefer to speak directly to the hearing person. When the hearing person speaks to you, the Relay Operator types everything said to your TTY or VCO phone.

Speech to Speech (STS)
877-955-5334
If you have a speech disability and would prefer to have a specially-trained Relay Operator serve as your voice and repeat your responses to the called party.