Town of Weston, Connecticut
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Emergency Management
Emergency Management
BEFORE THE EMERGENCY
1. REGISTER WITH EVERBRIDGE: Make sure you are signed up for Everbridge in order to receive messages from the Town via email, text and/or phone.
2. FOLLOW THE TOWN OF WESTON FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/westonct.gov
3. ANTICIPATE POWER OUTAGES: Take the usual preparations for the potential of an electrical outage:
• If you have a generator, ensure it is operational and have adequate fuel on hand.
• If you do not have a generator,
a. Ensure you have adequate water supplies to last at least 72 hours; fill your bathtubs with water for a significant supply.
b. If the outage occurs in cold weather, have a plan to locate a source of heat (the Town may create a warming/cooling center and as a last resort due to COVID-19 a shelter in the event of an extended outage).
4. EMERGENCY CONTACTS: Write down emergency, family and medical phone numbers and keep them in a safe place. In an event that you have no cell service, but a land line works, you will have those numbers handy. If your block has a local calling list, have it taped inside a closet or pantry door.
5. PROVISIONS: Make sure you have stocked up on food; in particular nonperishables. If you are a pet owner, have a backup supply set aside for this situation.
6. ROAD ACCESS: Bear in mind that if you live on a private road, consider arranging for a private company or individual to clear downed trees or other debris from the road as the Town is not responsible for your road.
If you anticipate an emergency lasting more than a day:
• WATER: store 15 gallons of potable water per person (roughly 1 gallon per day) and have ways to treat dirty water via either a portable water filter or countertop water filter.
• FOOD: at least 23,000 calories per person (roughly 1,500 calories per day) of shelf-stable food that's ready to eat or only needs boiling water to make; usually extra supermarket food you normally eat anyway or food specially designed to last for extended periods of time
• MEDICINE: make sure your prescriptions are filled and a first aid kit is available
• POWER: spare batteries and rechargers
• FIRE: lighters, matches, and backup fire starters
• LIGHT: headlamps, flashlights, candles, lanterns
• HEATING AND COOLING: indoor-safe heaters, extra blankets, USB-powered fan
• SHELTER: a cheap tarp (anything you find at a local store) comes in handy for improvised shelter, plugging holes in the house, and clearing debris
• TOOLS: axe, shovel, work gloves, zip ties, duct tape, etc.
• HYGIENE: wet wipes, hand sanitizer
• CHECK YOUR SMOKE DETECTORS: make sure batteries are operational
• CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR: portable is best in case you need to shelter in your vehicle as you can place it on your dashboard in case of any exhaust issues.
• CASH: as much as you can reasonably afford to stash
• MENTAL HEALTH: board games, favorite books, headphones, movies downloaded to a tablet, etc.
• DOCUMENTS: copy of deeds/titles, insurance policies, birth certificates, maps, pictures of family members, etc. in both physical and USB thumb drive forms
• MAKE A HOME EMERGENCY PLAN: for your family that outlines what to do in an emergency
• PREPARE AN EMERGENCY KIT with essential items in case you lose power or need to leave home in an emergency: https://www.ready.gov/kit#_
• MAINTAIN YOUR YARD AND BALCONY: Secure or store items that could blow around in strong winds.
• CLEAN YOUR GUTTERS: down pipes and drains regularly to prevent blockages
• TRIM TREES AND BRANCHES that could potentially fall on your home or property
• FIX YOUR ROOF: including broken or missing tiles
• CHECK YOUR INSURANCE POLICY: is current and adequate
• LISTEN TO YOUR LOCAL MEDIA: local news, Facebook pages etc. for weather and emergency updates
DURING THE EMERGENCY
These sources can help keep you up to date on conditions in Town:
1. EVERBRIDGE - our town's communication tool- sign up is necessary- go here
2. If you lose access to the internet, YOUR CELL PHONE CAN BE USED TO CREATE A PERSONAL HOTSPOT TO GET YOU BACK ON THE INTERNET
3. TOWN HALL OR LIBRARY PARKING TEND TO GET INTERNET SERVICE RESTORED ON A PRIORITY BASIS, if you can safely travel there to access
4. TUNE INTO A LOCAL RADIO STATION
COMMUNICATION WITH EVERSOURCE
Call Eversource (800 286-2000) when you lose power. This is how Eversource gauges the number of homes without power and hence plans its response. The Town has little or no information on power restoration, so please do not call the Town and inquire about restoration.
DO NOT TRAVEL UNLESS IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY
You are safest in your home. If the emergency warrants you leaving your home, minimize your exposure outside and find alternate shelter as quickly as possible. If you need to get to the hospital, assess the availability of ambulances first. If ambulances are blocked from access, you likely will be too.
AVOID DOWNED POWER LINES: Assume all downed lines are live. Do not touch them. Do not drive over them.
The Office of Emergency Management is committed to the safety and security of our people and our town. As a department, the Office of Emergency Management is responsible for handling emergencies that arise from both natural and man-made disasters. In order to do so, the Town of Weston has a comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan that details what each department (such as Fire, Police, and EMS) in the town is required to do during an actual emergency. Notifications of an emergency will be in accordance with the town plan that includes the use of the air raid sirens and vehicles equipped with public address systems as well as local TV and radio stations.
The Town of Weston Emergency Operations Manual that contains the Emergency Operations Plan and annexes for all municipal departments has been updated and was signed by Mr. Woody Bliss on September 16th. We are now currently working with our municipal neighbors and the South Western Regional Planning Agency to create both terrorism and bio-terrorism annexes to add to the Emergency Operations Manual. These annexes will provide valuable information to our emergency responders and citizens in the case of a terrorist attack.
As always, we are in constant contact with the State of Connecticut Office of Emergency Management, the American Red Cross, and the Office of Homeland Security at both the federal and state levels in order to ensure the safety and security of our community. Please feel free to access the following websites for further information on how to better prepare yourselves and your homes in the case of a natural or man-made disaster.
If you have any questions, you may also contact Officer Joseph Miceli, the Director of Emergency Management for Weston at (203) 222-2600. For Storm Related Information, call (203) 451-1161.