Spring Break
Brazos beats Ike
As weather conditions worsen, the community prepares to fight back
By: Clair Lavender
Issue date: 9/11/08 Section: News
To keep the residents of the Brazos County and its surrounding area as informed as possible, the Community Emergency Operations Center was activated earlier this week. Composed of the city of College Station, the city of Bryan, Texas A&M University and Brazos County, the Center is responsible for making decisions in times of crisis.
They will be distributing condition updates and procedures daily at 10:30 a.m., 4:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. via cstx.gov or by calling their emergency line at (979) 764-3600. There is a consistently updated map online with information on shelters, hospitals and emergency care sites. Police and all central personnel will be fully staffed and available 24 hours a day throughout the weekend. Channel 19 will also be keeping the community up-to-date on any changes to the situation.
Tim Ottinger, the vice president of communications at St. Joseph Hospital, stressed that they are well-prepared for anything that may occur.
"If you're worried about your home and are OK, we encourage you to go to a shelter, not a hospital," he said. "We need all the room we can get for medical concern patients."
He said St. Joseph has more than two weeks' worth of supplies like food, water, oxygen and medical tools and will soon find out from the state's emergency command system whether they will be receiving any hospital transfer evacuees. There is also a shelter for staff members so employees working this weekend will not have to travel during the hurricane.
One problem many hospitals encountered with Hurricane Rita in 2006 was a misunderstanding that the hospital was a place for shelter and water, when it should have been used solely for its medical services.
Because the hospital is in a Code Yellow (natural disasters, the College Station Medical Center had several meetings to discuss emergency protocol. Melissa Purl, director of marketing and public officer, said the Center is ready for whatever Ike may induce.
"All generators are ready to roll," Purl said.
Like St. Joseph, there are no hospital transfers yet, but they are ready to "take care of what comes our way."
Hotels are opening their doors for evacuees and offering the lobby up for temporary residence as well.
The Days Inn, however, is completely booked. Senior financing major Bav Mehta guessed that 60 percent of the guests are from Houston. Ramada Inn recalled opening their ballroom for Rita evacuees and said they will do the same for Ike, if need be. More than 75 percent of the guests at Comfort Suites are evading the hurricane as well - so many, in fact, that the hotel is offering a discount for evacuees.
On campus, G. Rollie White Coliseum is ready to put up off-campus students in need of shelter, though they recommend bringing bedding and food. Reed Arena is opening their doors to 500 special needs patients from other parts of the state as well.
They will be distributing condition updates and procedures daily at 10:30 a.m., 4:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. via cstx.gov or by calling their emergency line at (979) 764-3600. There is a consistently updated map online with information on shelters, hospitals and emergency care sites. Police and all central personnel will be fully staffed and available 24 hours a day throughout the weekend. Channel 19 will also be keeping the community up-to-date on any changes to the situation.
Tim Ottinger, the vice president of communications at St. Joseph Hospital, stressed that they are well-prepared for anything that may occur.
"If you're worried about your home and are OK, we encourage you to go to a shelter, not a hospital," he said. "We need all the room we can get for medical concern patients."
He said St. Joseph has more than two weeks' worth of supplies like food, water, oxygen and medical tools and will soon find out from the state's emergency command system whether they will be receiving any hospital transfer evacuees. There is also a shelter for staff members so employees working this weekend will not have to travel during the hurricane.
One problem many hospitals encountered with Hurricane Rita in 2006 was a misunderstanding that the hospital was a place for shelter and water, when it should have been used solely for its medical services.
Because the hospital is in a Code Yellow (natural disasters, the College Station Medical Center had several meetings to discuss emergency protocol. Melissa Purl, director of marketing and public officer, said the Center is ready for whatever Ike may induce.
"All generators are ready to roll," Purl said.
Like St. Joseph, there are no hospital transfers yet, but they are ready to "take care of what comes our way."
Hotels are opening their doors for evacuees and offering the lobby up for temporary residence as well.
The Days Inn, however, is completely booked. Senior financing major Bav Mehta guessed that 60 percent of the guests are from Houston. Ramada Inn recalled opening their ballroom for Rita evacuees and said they will do the same for Ike, if need be. More than 75 percent of the guests at Comfort Suites are evading the hurricane as well - so many, in fact, that the hotel is offering a discount for evacuees.
On campus, G. Rollie White Coliseum is ready to put up off-campus students in need of shelter, though they recommend bringing bedding and food. Reed Arena is opening their doors to 500 special needs patients from other parts of the state as well.
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