Jefferson Parish residents, don’t worry if you see people with iPads inspecting damage on Monday, March 31—it’s just a test. The Jefferson Parish is running a damage assessment exercise at over 100 locations to prepare for real disasters. Emergency management staff and local officials will be involved in the test across Jefferson Parish, including Kenner, Harahan, Westwego, and Gretna.
The exercise will leverage Crisis Track, a relatively new software designed to help governments deal with disasters more effectively. In a twist that highlights how technology is increasingly central in modern crisis response, on Monday, participants will use it to simulate assessing damage at predetermined ‘disaster’ sites. While taking pictures and ‘logging’ damage, they'll test how well the software performs, as reported by the Jefferson Parish.
It's all a part of a larger strategy to ensure quick and accurate damage assessments, which are essential for accessing FEMA funds after real disasters strike. Crisis Track is tailored to streamline this process, making it faster for governments to report and get a handle on emergency situations – with a focus on efficiency and less reliance on large teams of personnel, as per the Jefferson Parish.
Last activated in response to Hurricane Francine in September 2024 and the winter weather earlier this January, the Jefferson Parish Emergency Operations Center is no stranger to challenges. These exercises are more than just walkthroughs; they aim to enhance the department’s capabilities for when actual emergencies occur. According to the Jefferson Parish's official statement, “It is crucial to gather preliminary damage assessments in the community to submit a report to state officials for efficient tracking, deployment of outside resources, and reimbursements.”
