In late June, Pensacola welcomed a diverse group of international leaders from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand to discuss the issue sof environmental monitoring and emergency preparedness.
Despite their short stay, the group found itself immersed in a wide array of professional and cultural activities, including attending a Bands on the Beach concert. Starting off their busy, but exciting, professional program was an orientation at city hall presided over by President of the City Council Maren DeWeese who shared local demographics as well as some history. This was followed by a meeting with Chips Kirschenfeld, manager of the Water Quality Division for the Escambia County Bureau of Neighborhoods and Services which provided the opportunity for an in-depth environmental discussion concerning local waterways.
Following lunch in downtown Pensacola, the group finished the afternoon in a meeting with Chip Fox, the chairman of SAFER (Support Alliance for Emergency Readiness Santa Rosa County Emergency Operations Center) and with Steve Mewborn, the emergency management logistics chief of Santa Rosa County, where they explored public-private partnerships in disaster response.
On their second day, the visitors have a site visit to the Perdido Landfill which was paired with meeting officials from the Escambia County Division of Solid Waste Management. The tour & discussion highlighted this award-winning landfill operation. We extend thanks to Dee Dee Green, Doyle Butler, Pat Johnson, and Jim Howes for contributing to the conversation and for making this visit possible.
Later in the day, the group travelled to the University of West Florida (UWF) for a meeting on communication systems in crisis situations. Peter Robinson, the director of emergency management at the university, and Dora English, a procurement administrator, met with the group to present how local universities alert campus communities of disasters and crises. The international visitors thoroughly enjoyed learning about the development and functions of the Argo Alert system currently in place at UWF.
To round out their day, the group ended with a visit to Miraflores Park for an environmental monitoring and evaluation discussion. Barbara Albrecht, watershed coordinator of the UWF Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation, and Shelley Alexander, manager of the Northwest Florida Aquatic Preserve, met the group along with J.D. Brown of the Bream Fisherman’s Association to discuss water pollution in the area, the effects of the recent oil spill, and environmental monitoring.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this project!
