By Sharon Challenger.
On August 22, 2021, Haddam First Selectman, Bob McGarry issued a Declaration of Emergency in preparation of Tropical Storm Henri. https://www.haddam.org/home/news/august-22-2021-emergency-declaration
The news was published on hk-now.com and some readers began to inquire about it.
In an attempt to understand more about emergency declarations and what a town must do when faced with natural or man-made disasters, Haddam Killingworth News posed several questions to FS McGarry.
When asked why an emergency declaration was issued regarding Tropical Storm Henri, FS McGarry stated that he had not intended to issue a declaration but was advised, “on a statewide conference call with the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) that having more local declarations increases the chance for reimbursement to CT from FEMA.”
What are the benefits of having a disaster declaration in place?
“A disaster declaration gives the First Selectman some additional authority and flexibility on responding to the disaster and some protection for volunteers who help. Section 7.4 of our charter and CT General Statutes section 28-8a address this. Perhaps the biggest reason for local disaster declarations is to help residents realize the situation is or could become serious so pay attention.”
How did Haddam prepare for and react to Tropical Storm Henri?
“Prior to the storm’s arrival we held an online meeting to discuss preparations and concerns. Attendees included the Fire Chiefs for Haddam and Haddam Neck, the Ambulance Chief, Social Services Director, Emergency Management Director and Deputy Director, Assistant Director Public Works, senior resident trooper and me. If the storm had lasted longer or if it required an extended recovery time (think TS Isaias) there would have been more meetings. Those meetings would cover: the current situation and what has changed, what’s been accomplished since the last meeting, problems encountered/anticipated, what assistance or resources we need and actions going forward.
Does Haddam have an Emergency Operations Center?
“We do have an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Haddam Fire Station 1. It’s little more than office space; it’s not the sophisticated center you see in cities or at the state armory. For this storm we operated the EOC virtually. With technology we can do everything virtually that we could do in a physical EOC except talk face to face and have an Eversource liaison located with us. A big advantage of the virtual EOC is we are spread throughout the town so when roads are blocked one of us may still be able to get out to assess the situation.”
How were Haddam officials kept informed about the situation?
“The state held five state-wide conference calls with the state EOC and all 169 municipalities, one on Friday, one on Saturday, two on Sunday, and a final one on Monday. Like our EOC meeting these calls discussed what the state had done or planned to do, the current situation and latest weather forecast and any problems the municipalities needed state help with.”
Is the Red Cross still helping now that they no longer have a branch in Middletown?
“The Red Cross opened two regional shelters in our area during the storm. One was in North Branford, the other in New Haven. Our closest shelter is the new middle school. The Red Cross would assist with shelter management.”
What other agencies help when communities are faced with natural or man-made disasters?
“Which agencies respond to a disaster and its aftermath depends on the nature of the disaster and the authority, capability and resources of the agency. It’s not as simple as natural disaster versus man-made. For example, public works is a major player responding to storms but is a minor contributor in our response to the pandemic even though both of these are natural disasters.”
Does Haddam have a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)?
“Haddam doesn’t have a CERT team although we are discussing establishing one. In the past when we’ve distributed water and/or MREs we had residents come pick them up and relied on volunteers to deliver them to homebound individuals.”
Note: FS McGarry intends to put a notice out this week formally ending the declaration.
For more information on CERT teams and the Citizen Corps Program (CCP): https://portal.ct.gov/DEMHS/Emergency-Management/Resources-For-Officials/Citizen-Corps
