Thank you for coming today. For the past ten days, we have seen heart-wrenching images of the destruction in New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast region. The size and scope of the tragedy there, is difficult to comprehend, but communities around the country have responded as Americans always do – with generosity, commitment, and care.
For those of us who have felt the terrible power of Mother Nature, the pictures from the Gulf Coast are particularly striking. Baltimore County knows what it is like to need help. Just as neighboring Marylanders responded to the flooding brought to Baltimore County by Isabel two years ago, we, as America’s neighbors, are responding – and will continue to respond – to the calls for aid coming from Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana.
Search & Rescue Teams
Last week, 9 members of our volunteer search and rescue team from the Baltimore County Fire Department were deployed to Mississippi to aid in the search for survivors. They have just returned. We are extremely proud of their efforts, and in just a few moments you will get to hear from members of that team.
In addition to the members of this search and rescue team, the Baltimore County Fire Department has dispatched 8 additional two-man teams to Atlanta where they were trained for deployment to one of the states in need, participating in community outreach operations.
County Police Officers
Chief Hohman will give you more details about their mission.
On Wednesday of this week, Police Chief Terrence Sheridan received a call for 50 officers to assist in the Katrina recovery effort. Since that time, he has been working with MEMA representatives in preparation for the deployment of Baltimore County Police officers to the gulf region and a plan is in place for Baltimore County to provide these officers. Police Chief Sheridan will be available to answer specific questions about that potential operation.
Health and Aging Services
Other agencies in Baltimore County have also been very active in relief efforts. Our Health Department, under the direction of Acting Director Ellen Clayton, has organized immunization clinics for rescue workers. On Monday, our Health Department inoculated over 80 emergency medical volunteers who left for Jefferson Parish, Louisiana on Labor Day.
The Department of Aging is coordinating volunteer efforts for county citizens, and will institute a food collection program on Monday entitled Jam the Van. The collections will go to the Maryland Food Bank for distribution to the gulf region. Citizens may also drop off food items at any Baltimore County Senior Center. Arnold Eppel, the Director of the Department of Aging will brief you on those initiatives.
Arriving Evacuees
In its most recent update, FEMA officials have indicated that they expect no evacuees to be relocated to Maryland over the next 7 days. However, should evacuees arrive on their own, we are working through our county agencies and with Baltimore City to coordinate our response efforts.
The city has made the Du Burns Arena available for any new arrivals that need temporary shelter, and our Departments of Community Conservation and Social Services are working with city officials to contribute personnel and resources in that event.
The Director of Community Conservation, Mary Harvey, currently has more than 50 faith-based organizations working with the county to create a network that will assist evacuees when they arrive in Baltimore County.
Social Service Director Tim Griffith has made sure that district offices are providing emergency food and gas vouchers for evacuees, and the Social Service Department has streamlined the benefit application process to ensure that evacuees can receive the assistance they need with a minimal amount of red tape.
Just last evening, I was able to personally welcome to Baltimore County a family that has relocated from New Orleans to live with the Bass family their long-time friends in Randallstown. Bass family members, their Coronado Street neighbors, churches, business groups, and the education community all rallied around this family and welcomed them to Baltimore County, proving once again that there is light in the midst of the darkness.
Updates on the Web
We are posting updated recovery information on the county web site daily, and I encourage citizens to go to baltimorecountymd.gov for the latest information on the county’s efforts. I ask for the press’ assistance in publishing our web site so that families will know where to go for recovery updates.
On Wednesday of this week, I met with the Mayor of Baltimore, Martin O’Malley, and Howard County Executive Jim Robey, and phone conferenced with Anne Arundel County Executive Janet Owens, Harford County Executive David Craig, and Carroll County Commissioner Julia Gouge. To ensure regional cooperation, we will be communicating on a daily basis through the Baltimore Metropolitan Council. I can assure you that we are all on the same page.
Shortly you will hear from Baltimore County’s Director of Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security, Richard Muth. I am extremely proud of Richard’s efforts over the past 10 days. Richard is coordinating the Emergency Management Assistance Compact requests that are coming into the State of Maryland from the affected regions. Richard’s efforts have been invaluable to the State’s relief effort, and he has kept Baltimore County on top of how and where help is needed.
Helping County Employees Help Others
I have conferred with Baltimore County Council Chair Joe Bartenfelder, and the administration and the council will be introducing emergency legislation to be passed at the next council meeting. This legislation will ensure that county employees who are activated to National Guard service will continue to receive salary equal to the amount of their county wages and their health benefits during their tour of Katrina service.
Hurricane Katrina brought destruction on an unprecedented scale. It will be many weeks before clean up and recovery truly begins in earnest, and it may be months before the residents of New Orleans and other communities are able to return to their homes. Our commitment to the victims of Katrina has to be long-term.
Please Give to the United Way
This is not a sprint. This is a marathon. With that in mind, I want to thank the thousands of county employees as well as families throughout Baltimore County who have already made donations to aid in recovery efforts, but I want to take this opportunity to ask our employees and our Baltimore County families to consider an even longer-range commitment.
In a very few weeks, the annual United Way campaign will begin. I contacted Mark Furst, the director of Maryland’s United Way Campaign, who is here this morning. He is eager to have the United Way do its part to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The United Way of Central Maryland is already sponsoring trained volunteers headed for the Gulf Coast to provide hands-on assistance to the victims, and is contributing $100,000 to relief efforts.
Maryland’s United Way has also convened a group of local government and nonprofit leaders to draft a plan for Katrina's victims who come to our area, and has earmarked half of the $100,000 to care for evacuees who relocate here.
As we all know the are both immediate and long-term, and I ask those of you who may not have participated in the United Way campaign in the past to please do so this year and to consider earmarking your pledge to one of the many United Way organizations assisting in the relief effort.
I ask those who regularly contribute to United Way to please consider increasing your payroll deduction this year so that we can ensure that funds supporting relief efforts continue throughout the year. Through our efforts, we can show our fellow Americans in the Gulf that Baltimore County does CARE!
Revised September 9, 2005
Courthouse 