Georgia County Government - May/June 2008 - (Page 51)

life-saving mission critical information reaching team members instantly. Wallace Wireless uses customized applications to integrate with Business Continuity Planning, Disaster Recovery Solutions or Emergency Preparedness allowing organizations to push vital plans and critical contact information to hundreds, or even thousands, of mobile devices all at once. The public should also be educated about new systems, technologies and how best to communicate with fi rst responders during emergencies. For example, since more and more people are dropping their traditional landline phones, consumers need to understand the GPS coordinates that 911 systems use so they can accurately communicate their location, versus assuming the 911 center knows exactly where they are, as with land lines. E-911 has been a “hot” issue in many states, Georgia included, and consumer education is critical to making it effective. “If we’ve learned anything from the past few years of fires, tornadoes and severe weather, it’s that you cannot depend on one system or one level of communications. You have to have redundancy. You have to take everything available to you and place it into your communication plan,” Ray says. Verizon Wireless has been doing business with state and local governments for more than a decade. The company operates a formal business continuity/disaster recovery program, responsible for minimizing the impact of a disruption to customers, employees, infrastructure and operations. They do this by focusing on: • Identification of critical functions, infrastructure and risks. • Implementation of strategies to minimize the risk of a disruption. • Development of business continuity recover and crisis management plans. • Testing. “Testing, testing and more testing is key,” says Rick Long, national account manager with Verizon Wireless. “The best thing emergency responders and their organizations can do is have a continuity of operations plan and then drill it and drill it again. Many do not, however. And those agencies that do create them, end up putting the plan in threering binders on the shelf and don’t practice it. And if they do drill it, it’s rarely. So when the time comes, there is a ‘deer in the headlights’ factor, inhibiting response time and risk mitigation.” The Verizon Wireless network is constantly tested, constantly drilled and is resilient by design. Services are provided through a large and sophisticated nationWIRELESS continued on page 52 Design Upgrade • CREATIVE LANDSCAPE / HARDSCAPE SOLUTIONS • BEAUTY AND DURABILITY • DESIGN FLEXIBILITY • UPGRADED APPEARANCE • WILL NOT ROT OR DECAY For more info, contact: John Ciancia Georgia Masonry Institute 100 Crescent Centre Parkway, Suite 665 Tucker, GA 30084 (770) 621-9324 jciancia@mail.gcpa.org www.georgiamasonry.org Concrete Masonry is the Right Choice! GMASS Georgia Mass Appraisal Solutions and Services A Georgia Company Property Tax Consultants Specializing in Real Property Revaluations We Also Offer New Construction Pickup Residential Commercial and Industrial Schedules Rural Land Schedules Maintenance Programs All appraisers are GREAB certified Certified General Appraiser Registered Forester Let us help you with all your digest needs 5040 Ridge Road Norwood GA 30821 Kristi Reese 706.339.4396 Terry McCormick 770.262.1385 MAY/JUNE 2008 www.accg.org 51 http://www.georgiamasonry.org http://www.accg.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Georgia County Government - May 2008

Georgia County Government - May 2008 Contents President’s Message County Matters ACCG 2008 Annual Meeting: Highlights County Focus: Clayton County Negotiating a Professional Service Firm Contract: Part 3 Counties Get Involved in Efforts to End Sexual Abuse of Children Smart Growth Scorecard Gives Communities a Way to Grade New Developments Wireless Technologies Critical for First Responders Research Corner: The ACCG Policy Process RDCs Assist the USS Georgia Flag Project Extension News: Animals Take Spotlight in Disaster Planning Georgia’s Grand Old Courthouses: Grady County NACo News: Green Initiative Launches Searchable Database Insurance News: ACCG Announces New Inmate Medical Savings Program County Parade Index of Advertisers

Georgia County Government - May 2008

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