Objectives
To develop a public outreach campaign to educate and promote proper levee safety. 1) To develop an iconic image that will identify the campaign; 2) To develop a video for use on the parish website, television station and in public presentations and agency/departmental safety training sessions; 3) To publish and distribute educational materials to the public.
Methodology
The project will begin with the development of a campaign that is easy for the public to recognize and begin to associate with levee safety (e.g. Smokey the Bear). From this initial campaign or branding effort, project deliverables such as an educational video and publications will be designed and implemented.
Outreach and education will be designed to:
- Inform about what activities are permitted;
- Explain any limitations or safety requirements for permitted activities;
- Prevent other activities which could result in costly levee repair or failure; and
- Include steps to report prohibited activities or structural concerns year round and during storm events.
Rationale
Terrebonne Parish believes in a complete system of storm protection that includes structural (levees and pumps), non-structural (elevation, land use planning and flood proofing), and coastal restoration and protection (wetland and forest restoration). This system relies on all strategies working together and protecting one another – wetlands protect levees from direct storm surge, etc. In order to sustain these systems, we have to educate local agencies, emergency responders and the general public on what sorts of activities are permitted in and around our levees. The importance of the levee systems are general understood by the area residents; however, there are still those who take advantage or misuse the property for personal benefit which, if gone unchecked, could weaken the system. All of the project partners (Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Office, Houma Police Department, TPCG Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, TPCG Public Works and Terrebonne Parish Levee and Conservation District) will also have access to the project deliverables for use in their presentations and publications.