Manatee County nears contract with sign language interpreter after Irma 'mishap'

The era of post-Hurricane Irma has largely been regarded as a wake-up call.

"We dodged a bullet," as Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said after first in-teams surveyed the damage before sunrise that September Monday morning.

But it could have been so much worse, and it can be in future hurricane seasons.

For Manatee County's communications department, the 2017 hurricane season offered many insights on what it did well and what could improve efficiency in getting out the right message.

One of those improvements included seeking a reliable American sign language interpreter for on-camera emergency management briefings. Nick Azzara, information outreach manager for Manatee County, said he volunteered to rectify the situation.

"After that mishap, that was something we identified that needs shoring up," he said.

Because a certified ASL interpreter wasn't available after the county declared a state of emergency in the days before Hurricane Irma, the county decided to recruit the help of a Manatee County lifeguard, clad in a bright yellow polo, who communicates with his brother using sign language. According to one ASL interpreter who spoke to the Bradenton Herald before the storm, 95 percent of the interpretation was incomprehensible.

The incident even inspired three bills during the 2018 legislative session that, if passed, would have required counties to have an interpreter certified by the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf or Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf during televised emergency weather announcements. All the bills were postponed and withdrawn from consideration on March 10, falling silent the day before the legislative session officially ended.

After receiving four responses during a request for proposal process, Manatee County is now finalizing contracts with King Interpreting Services LLC. The Orlando-based service filed as a limited liability company with the state four days after Hurricane Irma, according to records. Rates listed in a fee proposal from the company range from $69.50 an hour to $119.25 an hour, depending on whether it's a holiday or televised. Azzara said the company has a network of contracted interpreters statewide.

Irma also showed the county how much people relied on social media for storm updates.

"We have used social media in the past during drills, but never before has it been tested to the extent that we used it during Irma," Azzara said. "It's become more prevalent since we've had a direct threat."

While the Citizen Information Center and news reports used to be the main lifeline between information and the people, a new avenue through social media meant taking those questions and making more relevant press briefings. But it also identified the need for a new position to shuttle information between those who answer questions from the public and those who share the information.

"We want the right hand to be talking to the left hand," he said.

Though proud of the consistent morning and afternoon press briefings, Azzara said there's one thing they'll likely always face unless they have more help: risk of burnout. Azzara's usual staff of three grows to nearly 20 during emergency activations. At least five or six were working at any time, and stayed up through the night as Irma passed overhead.

"You’re in the heat of the event and you’re wanting to do all you can to help but eventually you have to take a breather," he said.

The county is going to have a soft launch of its new website, available on the county's network, and will roll it out within in the next two business weeks, Azzara said.

Although there was only a mandatory evacuation for those who live in Zone A and a voluntary evacuation for residents living in Zone B, nearly 70 percent of Manatee County's 25 shelters filled up. With the new website, Azzara said he hopes that the county will be able to provide real-time information on each shelter's capacity during an evacuation, helping residents know what conditions are like before they go.

This story was originally published June 4, 2018 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Manatee County nears contract with sign language interpreter after Irma 'mishap'."