By By Adam Prestridge
First responders from Escambia, Monroe, Clarke, Washington, Baldwin and Mobile counties will be on hand Wednesday morning in Mobile for Alabama Power Company’s 2008 Hurricane Preparedness review.
The meeting will be held at the power company’s new, state-of-the-art Operations Center, which was built following Hurricane Katrina.
Atmore public safety director Glenn Carlee, Atmore Police Department chief Jason Dean and Atmore Fire &Rescue Department chief Gerry McGhee will attend the meeting, along with representatives from the city’s utilities departments.
“I think it’s just that time of year when we need to place an interest back on the hurricane season and see what changes they (APC) have in their system to better serve us and what we need to do to help them for planning for the year,” Carlee said.
Carlee said each year when hurricane season approaches, the city begins checking off its hurricane preparedness list.
Atmore Alabama Power Company branch manager Peggie Byrd, who will also be in attendance at the meeting, said specifics about the company’s presence in each community will also be discussed.
Byrd said the Atmore staging areas for this hurricane season are the Jefferson Davis Community College Atmore Campus, the field on Lindberg Avenue across from Escambia County High School and the soccer field on the corner of Craig and Presley streets.
Fogarty said following the review, those on hand will be able to tour the company’s new 11,000 square foot facility, which can withstand a Category 5 hurricane and was built on higher ground to prevent flooding.