2009 News

September 3, 2009

“What We Do, We Do Together”
Commissioners Proclaim September National Preparedness Month throughout the County of Bucks during Bi-Monthly Meeting in Warminster Twp.

Set to a backdrop of first-response emergency collaboration and preparation for Novel H1N1 Influenza scenarios, the Board of Bucks County Commissioners’ September 2 business meeting featured a “very unique” array of public safety entities. It also included the approval of 32 contracts for 14 county departments. The meeting, which was attended by multiple members of the county’s first-response public safety community, took place in the training room of the Warminster Fire Department, Station 90.

Moments after Commissioners Charles H. Martin, chairman, James F. Cawley, Esq. and Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, LCSW proclaimed September “National Preparedness Month” throughout the county, Doylestown Township Police Chief Stephen White addressed the special collaboration that has been fostered through the Bucks County Public Safety Committee. That committee is co-chaired by county Corrections Director Harris Gubernick and county Emergency Management Director John Dougherty. Chief White applauded the commissioners for devising a national model for cooperation among first responders.

“The general public doesn’t know how much the commissioners do for us,” stated Tom Markey, former president of the Bucks County Fire Chiefs and Firefighters Association. “We should be giving them a commendation.” Markey also requested that the commissioners consider helping to finance communication system upgrades for municipal police, fire and EMS squads using gaming revenue. Commissioner Chairman Martin directed Chief Operating Officer David Sanko to work with Finance Director Brian Hessenthaler to report options to the commissioners at an upcoming meeting of the board.

Chairman Martin directed members of the public to the emergency notification Web site, www.ReadyNotifyPA.org, and also reminded southeastern Pennsylvania residents to take advantage of the many opportunities to capitalize on National Preparedness Month 2009 as “a time to focus on changing perceptions about emergency preparedness and help Americans understand and appreciate what it truly means to be ‘Ready.’ “

County Health Director Dr. David Damsker, MD, MPH gave a brief presentation about H1NI Influenza, expressing the desire to make the Bucks County Health Department a “one-stop shop for flu information.” To that end, the Health Department has established a hotline for flu information, which can be accessed by calling 1-877-477-4492. The county also has placed a Web site widget on the home page of www.BucksCounty.org, which will provide information to the public to “know what to do about the flu” through www.flu.gov.

“This flu will be very much like seasonal influenza,” Dr. Damsker predicted, adding that residents are advised to get both their normal flu shot and the H1N1 vaccination, when it becomes available. Bucks County’s fourth annual Pandemic Flu Drill will take place from 10 a.m.-2p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, at four different locations within the county. The first three Pandemic Flu Drills provided free flu shots to more than 11,000 individuals.

The business resolution portion of the meeting featured a wide-ranging discussion of contract change orders but, ultimately, all of the proposed contracts were approved. They included a pair of neighboring open space acquisitions in Richland Township, the 35.4-acre Landgreen property and the 11.3-acre Nace property, a pair of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation contracts to continue the Comprehensive Highway Safety and DUI Enforcement programs, the order of 8,500 seasonal flu vaccination doses, and a $70,600 FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety grant award to continue the Operation Safe Home program. According to Assistant Fire Marshal Mark Kramer, the Operation Safe Home program installed more than 1,500 free smoke alarms over the last year. The goal for the next fiscal year is the distribution of 3,000 free smoke alarms, which are funded through a competitive federal grant.

Commissioner Ellis-Marseglia voted no on three resolution items, including a contract amendment to fund routine healthcare for Bucks County Corrections inmates placed at the Berks County Prison, a $349,515 contract renewal for professional liability insurance, and a $1,950 contract increase to replace three drains for the roof project at the Yardley branch of the Bucks County Free Library.

The meeting also featured proclamations that declared September as “National Drug and Alcohol Recovery Month” and Sept. 6-12 as Suicide Awareness Week throughout the county. On Sept. 29, the Bucks County Intermediate Unit will host a conference entitled “Suicide in Bucks County: What You Need to Know.” The conference, to be held at 705 N. Shady Retreat Rd. in Doylestown, will feature keynote speaker Colleen Coffey, the program manager for the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign.

COO Sanko’s bi-monthly report included several items, among them congratulations to the county Information Technology department for effecting more than $100,000 savings in telephone service and serving as a statewide model for election reporting Web service, the announcement of the county’s 8th annual Sept. 11 Ceremony of Remembrance (to be held at 8:30 a.m. in the courthouse courtyard) and the emergence of an unfair labor practice claim by the PSSU union regarding the county’s drug and alcohol testing policies, as well as a budget update on the continued impasse at the state level.

For a copy of the business agenda, please visit www.BucksCounty.org. The next meeting of the Bucks County Commissioners will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, September 16 at the Churchville Nature Center, 501 Churchville Ln., Churchville.