Emergency operations center thrives off teamwork in storm

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — With Hurricane Florence rearing it’s head, emergency operations must operate like a well oiled machine to deal with the storm.

“It’s a group effort and everybody knows what they have to do,” Functional Needs Coordinator George Granger said. “We try to bring that commitment to the team, together.”

For almost a week, Brunswick County was gathering resources to withstand the storm and offer aid to those who need it, whether it meant coordinating responses for shelters, coordinating transportation for those who don’t have it or evacuating those with medical needs.

“This is the hub for our operations in the county and we communicate with all 19 towns,” Emergency Operations Manager Scott Garner said.

All of the information coming out of the Brunswick County EOC is sent to the state and then sent to FEMA. But it all starts from the teamwork at play.

“We’ve been preparing for a while. It does wear you down but there’s a tremendous amount of people involved so what we try to do is be mindful of where we’re at and what’s going on,” Granger said. “Even with all the scenarios that pop up, we work through it as best we can.”