Issue link: https://let.epubxp.com/i/565436
www.officer.com September 2015 Law Enforcement Technology 13 tournaments. Wanting to assist others, Cal OES established the "Contingency Plan for Excessive Heat Emergencies." This 64-page document, available on their website, gives agencies a step-by- step guide on how to prepare for heat. "It's interesting how people forget the basic rules in a heat emergency," Pazin says. Reminiscing about his time as the Merced County (Calif.) Sheriff, Pazin recalls a three week period of time when the temperature reached triple digits. "People were not prepared for it, although we advertised and put it through the media." With Cal OES' plan, he hopes that people are aware they have a government agency they can reach out to during critical times. "We have become the governor's Swiss Army knife," says Pazin. "We are utility players." This utilitarianism is why it is essential to pre-plan. " W hen we talk about weather condi- tions over the last decade, we have seen more horrific weather conditions than we have seen in a long time," says Mary Beth Ormiston, strategic programs manager in safety and risk management, FacilityDude, a company offering soft- ware solution, Crisis Plan. "The expecta- tion of our public has changed," she says. " We are expected to be better prepared." This mobile platform allows agencies to establish and easily update commu- nity action plans (CAP). "Most of our CAPs are on paper," says Ormiston. "As soon as you publish them they are out of date." With Crisis Plan, everything is immediately updated, including evacu- ation routes, contact information and compliance checklists. The software is customizable and brings together high- tech with common sense flexibility. Ormiston says "Our public demands we know how to react. Because we have the technology, and technology and data are power. We understand we have ©iStockphoto.com FacilityDude's Crisis Plan application allows departments to immediately update critical information during emergencies.