Savannah’s Mayor: Learn Through Experiences

Long before becoming Mayor of Savannah, Georgia, Otis Johnson was respected as a galvanizing force to bring people together to discuss and solve important issues, and improve the community. When problems of crime, drugs and teen pregnancy challenged the city, Johnson led the way to find solutions.

As Mayor, he has been actively involved in the Chatham (County) Emergency Management Committee, the organization formed to coordinate all kinds of emergencies, including hurricanes. The explosions and tragedy that struck Imperial Sugar’s refinery in nearby Port Wentworth, Georgia, in February 2008, tested the entire system, the Mayor said.

“A lot of protocols and systems were in place, (and) I am very proud of the way the community responded,” reflected Johnson recently.

“This community came together in a seamless way to do what was needed in the time of tragedy. Our fire departments, our police departments, our EMS people, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and others … all of these people did an extraordinary job of reaching out to the community.”

What also impressed Mayor Johnson was the humanitarian manner by which the top executives of Imperial Sugar, led by CEO John Sheptor, reached out immediately to the families of the victims with caring support.

“I personally had a first cousin who was killed … and I knew that the company did all they could do to aid them at their time of distress,” the Mayor said.

What are the lessons learned in the Savannah community?

“That these events are tests of the metal of a community, and because of the structure of the Chatham Emergency Management Committee, we have a protocol in place,” Johnson said. He advises other communities to “make sure you have a protocol in place that transcends governmental lines, and joins the public and private agencies together to respond in a unified manner.”

The Mayor sums it up this way: “Take every tragedy as an experience to learn how to plan to avoid things like that in the future, and do an honest assessment of all the activities that went on.” He gives Imperial Sugar praise as a responsible member of the greater Savannah community.

Web site of Chatham Emergency Management Committee.

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