Covid 19 | Reliable local resources Websites:

• Lancaster County – Several other local agency links are listed here.

All incidents are local | That’s axiomatic in the National Incident Management System. While nationally, elected public servants are supposed to be managing the response and communication (we wish) about the coronavirus; statewide, the Commonwealth is and Countywide, the County is.

But what about at the local level? | Only one of the largest three boroughs in the County has taken management and communication about Covid 19 to its constituents. Ephrata has information on its Website. What’s the plan, Stan?

This is not new stuff | 15 years ago, in 2005, the National Planning Scenarios were introduced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.  All agencies (federal, state & local) had this text book of catastrophic “what-if” scenarios to help them prepare for those events that are never gonna’ happen, but do. Biological Disease Outbreak – Pandemic Influenza is one of the scenarios.

“Influenza pandemics have occurred every 10 to 60 years, with three occurring in the twentieth century (1918, 1957-1958, and 1967-1968). Influenza pandemics occur when there is a notable genetic change (termed genetic shift) in the circulating strain of influenza. Because of this genetic shift, a large portion of the human population is entirely vulnerable to infection from the new pandemic strain. This scenario hypothetically relates what could happen during the next influenza pandemic without an effective preplanned response.”

How many communities prepared plans? | Does Columbia have a plan?

Nobody really knows | The numbers of persons using the 14-mile Northwest Lancaster County River Trail regularly gets bandied about; seems everyone wants to claim that the persons using the trail are justifying their efforts to sell their programs and initiatives. Let’s face it, the trail is 14 miles long and not everyone on the trail comes through every town on the trail. And not everyone on the trail is bring wads of cash or a credit card to buy something at every town along the trail.

Today, Ad Crable writes | that 120,000 people used the trail last year. Not all of the 120,000 went the distance. Everyone of the “guestimated” numbers is rounded off to the nearest thousand. Ever notice that people in real profit industries talk in finite numbers; not rounded numbers. In government, when it’s unknown, people “round” and throw stuff on the wall.