Chinese delegates learn about Henry?s emergency operations

Special Photo A delegation from the People?s Republic of China came to Henry County this week to learn about emergency operations in the area.

McDONOUGH ? Henry County got a feather in its cap this week when Chinese officials visited the area to learn about strategies for handling emergencies.

The county hosted 17 delegates from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from the People?s Republic of China Thursday. The group, led by Jiang Hong, wanted to gauge how emergency communications are addressed at the federal, state and local levels, said county spokeswoman Julie Hoover-Ernst.

?Their first stop in the state was to the Georgia State Operations Center in Atlanta where they attended a lecture and tour of the 24-hour Communications Center,? she said. ?Next, the delegation made a stop in Henry County to tour the new Emergency Operations Center.?

Henry?s Emergency Management Director Don Ash was among those who met with the Chinese delegates. He said the event was part of a statewide effort by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to provide education on disaster preparedness.

?GEMA has asked to partner with us as they bring different dignitaries to our community to show them how we manage disasters,? said Ash.

Henry has played host in recent years for similar tours by delegations from Thailand, the Republic of Georgia, South Korea, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ash said he is grateful for the support he has received at the state level in promoting his department?s programs.

?It lets us know we?re doing a good job for how we manage a disaster,? he said.

Hoover-Ernst said the tours resulted in part from Henry?s reputation for outstanding emergency preparedness stemming from how officials handled aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Other county leaders who welcomed the Chinese delegates to the area included Henry fire Chief Bill Lacy and police Chief Keith Nichols. Hoover-Ernst said the delegates wanted to know more about how to improve emergency communications.

?According to Hong, China still maintains separate phone numbers for fire, police and ambulance assistance, so the delegates are particularly interested in learning more about the efficiencies of 911 communications,? she said.

Chinese government officials also expressed interest in how the community handles earthquakes, hurricanes and forest fires, said Hoover-Ernst.

For more information, visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/911.

Source: http://www.henryherald.com/news/2012/sep/14/chinese-delegates-learn-about-henrys-emergency-ope/

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