DPCC aids Yazoo City recovery

It was a first for Yazoo City – that’s what Bernice McGinnis remembers. “We’ve had tornados before and they did some damage, but nothing of this magnitude. Nothing! Ever!” McGinnis has been the Yazoo County Emergency Management Director for eight years and she was prepared for the worst that Saturday, but hoped it wouldn’t happen. McGinnis and administrative assistant, David Brown, were in the courthouse the morning of April 24. McGinnis had been there all night and Brown came that morning. “We were in constant contact with the weather service,” McGinnis recalled. “We knew the storm was going to hit us.” But what worried McGinnis, who is also the 911 Coordinator, were the words used by the weather service to describe it. “They used words we were not accustomed to hearing, like, ‘tornado emergency’ and ‘extremely dangerous.’ They used those a lot,” she said.

Safety created by leadership values

by Dr. Larry Cole This is the first article to address the positive leadership attributes that contribute to creating a safe work environment. As a reminder, we’ve listed the leadership model so you can again see how the components work together. Our research found that leadership creates an environment that encourages employees to work safely [...]

The most violated rule in sales

Last year, there were millions of electric hand drills sold throughout the USA. Yet, not one of those buyers wanted a drill! They wanted a hole. So, “big deal” you say. Well, the big deal is this. Go to your local hardware store and start looking at drills. If you’re lucky enough to have a [...]

Me and Dillard, Volume 4, Issue 3

Summertime 1956 … I didn’t know what else was going on in the world then, and I was probably better off not knowing. At seven years old, I couldn’t tell you that Dwight Eisenhower was the President, but I could tell you what I was going to do today and tomorrow. Dillard and I were going [...]

Here’s the other Oxford story

Water main breaks are pretty common. One broke in Oxford, Mississippi on the Square, earlier this summer. Parts of Van Buren Avenue and South Lamar were closed, and several restaurants were unable to serve patrons. The Daily Mississippian reported that the line on the Square ruptured the afternoon of June 12, resulting in flooding and sedimentation on the streets. The report also said the 8-inch cast iron main ruptured due to a crack on the bottom side of the pipe. The line was repaired and the city was able to have the water back on by 9 p.m. the same day.

Columbus Light and Water is graduating from the old school

They don’t do it anymore – dig without calling Mississippi 811, that is. According to Steve Barksdale, Superintendent, Columbus Light and Water, “That’s old school.”
For years Columbus relied on a damage prevention program with emphasis on “who you know,” rather than “what you know.” They were not alone; other municipalities operated the same way. It began years ago, before the Mississippi 811 system. An excavation project usually started with a call to other utilities to see if they had any facilities in conflict with the planned work. It was easy because they knew each other; they were neighbors, some were even relatives. They had their phone numbers and since everyone was familiar with everyone, as well as street corners and landmarks, most of the information was given without dispatching a locator.

Pipelines: Your safety leader

Millions of people all across the country share the same neighbor. This neighbor does not intrude where it’s not wanted and simply goes about its business helping all of us every day. Pipelines are the energy lifelines of many of our daily activities from driving our children to school, heating our homes, to buying groceries at the store delivered by trucks run on diesel.

The US has the largest network of energy pipelines of any nation in the world. There are more than 200,000 miles of oil pipelines and 300,000 miles of natural gas pipelines all across the country. These lines are tucked under our streets, through neighborhoods and communities traveling below farmland, forests, and deserts. Since Americans consume more than 700 million gallons of petroleum products per day, pipelines are an essential component of our nation’s infrastructure. Without them our roads and highways would be overrun with trucks trying to meet this demand. Pipelines are the safest most reliable manner for transporting crude oil and other liquid petroleum products according to National Transportation Safety Board statistics. And just like any good neighbor, pipeline companies are ever mindful of the safety of those around them.

Anatomy of the underground utility damage lawsuit – Part 1

“SAFETY FIRST.” These simple words resonate from the columns of this magazine, the speakers at damage prevention meetings, and “call before you dig” public service announcements that pass through the radio and television airwaves. We figure out quickly that a simple call and paint on the ground leads directly to the avoidance of serious bodily [...]

Mississippi State Fire Academy

Some say it is Mississippi’s best-kept secret, but the statistics don’t support it. The Mississippi State Fire Academy must be well known because 17,000 emergency responders and industry safety personnel requested and received training at the facility in 2009. “That doesn’t count the thousands of volunteer firefighters we train annually in the field through our Extension Service Bureau,” said Curtiss Marbury, Instructor Chief with the State Fire Academy. “We’re extremely busy around here and, as a matter of fact, we’re currently booking reservations for 2011 and 2012.”

There’s no room for failure

Safety First! In Forrest County this is not just a sign on the shop wall or an empty promise. “I told the people when I ran for office, safety would be my number one issue,” said Chris Bowen, Forrest County Board of Supervisors, District Five. “In other words, I’d be working on the bridges prior [...]