On day 2, we immediately headed to the Emergency Managment building due to flash flooding and mudslide crises in western North Carolina. Specifically, there was an issue with Lake Tahoma’s dam in McDowell County where the amount of rainfall threatened the dam’s stability. It has now been deemed safe, but at the time citizens in this area were being evacuated and told to seek higher ground. I listened in to many phone calls between the various internal state departments as they discussed how to best approach the situation. Additionally, I got to listen in on phone calls to media outlets where my host- Mrs. Walker- was arranging for different media outlets to disseminate important emergency information and safety messages. I also learned about the techniques used in social media management and how the department effectively disseminates information through their various social media, using tools such as tweetdeck.com or hootsuite.com that allow them to track tags as well as post across different social media.
After seeing how Emergency Management operates in the morning, I was taken to the UNC-TV studio after lunch for the filming of a Public Service Announcement (PSA) regarding flood safety. Flood safety, as well as the mudslides and dam issues in western NC, is a prominent issue in the North Carolina Department of Public Safety right now due to tropical storm Alberto, which has caused many problems that the DPS must attend to. The PSA was made to alert people of the dangers of flooding and dissuade them from driving or walking in flooded areas. After filming was finished, I was able to tour the UNC-TV studio, which was incredibly interesting. They had large studios with high-tech cameras and bright studio lights, as well as various editing suites and rooms filled with countless TV screens and control panels equipped with a million different colorful buttons. It was very interesting to see the making of safety broadcasts and to get a behind the scenes look of such a popular broadcasting station such UNC-TV
The last stop of the day was the Highway Patrol training academy, where I toured the academy’s photographer’s studio. There, I was able to get a glimpse inside what kind of atmosphere these recruit’s train and live in; furthermore, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is also located within the campus, so I was able to see that, as well.
Overall, my second day with the NCDPS was very exciting and I was able to see many different aspects of many different careers within and in relation to the department.