Starting out in August 2011 as an intern for Cumberland County Department of Public Safety, my family and friends were all so excited that I had gotten such a great opportunity. However, I quickly noticed that any time I said where I was interning, everyone’s thoughts were “Oh, so you’re answering 9-1-1 calls?” When I informed them that that isn’t what I would be doing, they questioned what else there is to do there.
Many people view Cumberland County Department of Public Safety as strictly the 9-1-1 dispatch center, but in actuality, it’s so much more. Don’t get me wrong, the 9-1-1 dispatch is a big part of what goes on here, but many people don’t even know that everything else that happens here plays such a big role in their own lives.
When a disaster strikes, they work with those affected and help in any way possible. For example, only a few weeks after I started my internship, our county was put in a state of emergency due to the massive flooding. This event really gave me perspective on what happens when disaster strikes, when families are left without shelter, when some people have lost everything, and what the Department of Public Safety does to help. They do everything they can to recommend help for those in need if they can’t help them and work with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA). Immediately after the flooding had receded to a safe level, I got to visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) where anyone who had damage to their property or needed help in any way could go there to get assistance. By visiting the DRC , we learned of all types of assistance that was offered there and could recommend certain people to go there if they were in need, to get individuals and their property as back to normal as possible.
Here at Cumberland County Department of Public Safety, they do extensive HazMat planning for facilities in Cumberland County that either use, store, or manufacture tremendously hazardous materials. All plans for these facilities are stored here, along with plans in case of any hazardous materials involved in highway accidents. Likewise, they have emergency planning for TMI emergencies filed. On November 9, 2011, I was able to observe the Emergency Operations Center go into activation during the Emergency Alert System test. While in activation, they were able to answer any calls that resulted from this test.
The beauty of starting my internship when I did is that social media use was on the rise, and still is. This makes critical news that we need to get across to the community easier, much quicker, and more efficient. Cumberland County Department of Public Safety uses Facebook and Twitter to ensure that vital information gets out to all the followers of our social media pages. I am able to help with some of the updating of the most recent traffic conditions, weather conditions, and community events that may concern residents of Cumberland County.
Assisting emergency first responders and special teams with necessary training in Cumberland County is one of the most important goals here. Without the first responders properly trained, they wouldn’t be able to perform their duties as effectively and successfully as they do. This building has a training area for all first responders, and the Cumberland County Emergency Services Training Academy on Army Heritage Drive is for emergency service workers such as firefighters and hazardous materials workers. I have been here on several occasions when said training was happening for first responders. I was able to attend an annual event held by Cumberland County Department of Public Safety, along with The Penn State Dickinson School of Law on November 12, 2011, called Wills For Heroes. During this event, all Pennsylvania first responders are able to get a free, notarized Will, Living Will, and Health Care and Financial Powers of Attorney. This event was held at the Public Safety building and is an incredibly valuable tool for all first responders and their families.
As my internship is ending, I leave with the ability to understand that Cumberland County Department of Public Safety is so much more than what many of the community members think it is. It is a place that plans for any type of disaster at any location, and any time. It is a place that takes emergencies seriously and acts upon them immediately. It is a place that truly cares about its’ residents and are willing to do most anything to keep them safe and informed. Cumberland County Department of Public Safety has a broad variety of duties that affect everyone in Cumberland County. For more information on any of this, check out their website at http://www.ccpa.net/publicsafety.
Guest Blogger Angie Marpoe is a student at Big Spring High School and graduates this Spring! Angie will be attending college this fall and hopes to major in communications.
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