One Tangy Whiff of Anhydrous Ammonia

Okay, granted, responsibility for emergency planning falls to the counties under Florida law. However, nothing prevents a local municipality from putting in place its own disaster plan, even a little one that deals with disaster, whatever it might be, until the county cavalry arrives.

That’s why my modest proposal for a Zepherhills Emergency Plan has legs. And, with a little forethought it could be made to dovetail quite nicely with the country plan.

Right off the bat the city has the moral obligation to plan for its transient, elderly population which is often confused, lost and half bonkers on even a good day.

Then there are the unique problems here that the planners in Port Richie would never think about. An example: 70-ton tank cars of anhydrous ammonia, of which there are many rolling down the tracks on the east side of town. One unfortunate accident that releases that stuff has the potential to kill us all. Just one good whiff is all it takes.

Or how about the gravel mine just south of Chancey Road? They do use high explosives to make the little ones out of the big ones.

Then there’s the big phosphate processing plant that CF industries has down on the county line along Route 39. A little spill in a plant that size equals a big headache for those of us who are downwind.

Then there’s communications. Forget ‘em in a big storm, but ham radio operators operate when all else fails. One ham wants to put a crucial repeater link on the city’s water tower – free to the city – but right now he’s bogged down City Manager tape, despite there a commercial wireless internet provider getting what we’ll bet is a bargain-rate ride on that tower. What’s more important; dispatching cops and ambulances, or being able to pick up your pornographic email?


Just asking
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Our firemen are all certified in the national NIMS system. Nice. Problem is they don’t have such a system here in town. Instead they’d be using their skills in a bunker someplace else, getting food and water to someoneselse.
In the first 24 hours of a major disaster here or near there needs to be a well thought out plan for what the cops will do, what the ems will do, what the firemen will do.

Who is going to deploy the automatic sand bag filler and keep it filled. Oh we don’t have a filler? Maybe we ought to get one, I, for one, get really tired seeing those 90 year old women shoveling that heavy sand.

The point here is that a town like Zephyrhills has its own set of unique hazards, hazards we’re aware of, that need to be addressed before the big boys get here. And we haven’t got a plan and we need one, if only to keep the cops out from under their own feet.
Arjay