Planning for Reality Series
Date and Time
Wednesday Oct 2, 2024
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM EDT
Location
Fees/Admission
Free
Registration Recommended
Website
Contact Information
Maureen Aylward
Send Email
Description
TownGreen Emergency Preparedness Programs Will Prepare Cape Ann Residents for a Storm; Features Police and Fire Chiefs
Gloucester, MA: It is essential to be prepared for a climate-related event, whether it is a hurricane, nor’easter, or an extreme rain event with flooding, especially in winter. Cape Ann residents need to know about their municipality’s plans and evacuation routes, where to find more information on emergency shelters, and how municipalities will get the word out.
TownGreen is hosting two public programs to inform Cape Ann residents:
● How Will Cape Ann Respond to A Natural Disaster? Webinar: Wednesday, September 25th, 6:30-7:30pm on Zoom, Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtdeGrqz0uGtT-qBX9UpXB594MThWYL9R1#/registration
● Make an Emergency Plan Workshop: Wednesday, October 2nd, 6:30-7:30pm at Manchester-by-the-Sea American Legion Amaral-Bailey Post 113 14 Church Street, Register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUNz_RzuEfshT_X8iKaH3QZlxTCi9QSWrjBlboCvLt8GPrdw/viewform
These programs are free. Pre-registration is recommended, but people can also just show up and sign in.
EVENT 1 - September 25
How Will Cape Ann Respond to A Natural Disaster? Webinar
This informational webinar will present Cape Ann weather-related emergency scenarios for which residents need to be prepared: before the storm, during the storm, and recovering from a storm. Guest speakers will range from police and fire chiefs from Cape Ann, an emergency management director from Gloucester, and a representative from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).
Featured speakers include:
● Todd Fitzgerald, Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Chief
● Jake McNeilly, Manchester-by-the-Sea Fire Chief
● Paul Francis, Town of Essex Police Chief
● Ramie Reader, Town of Essex Fire Chief
● John Horvath, Rockport Police Chief
● Collin Buckner, Assistant Emergency Management Director and Compliance Officer,
City of Gloucester
● Matthew Kolhonen, MEMA representative
The Chiefs will provide an overview of the June 2024 Cape Ann tabletop exercise that identified the communities’s strengths and identified gaps. What will be covered:
● Evacuations routes
● Shelter and transit plans for a major hurricane, Nor’easters, and winter storms
● Emergency messaging, with an emphasis on heeding the call to evacuate and unified messaging for local and regional communications
MEMA representative, Matthew Kolhonen, will give a presentation on how the state responds to local natural disasters. A panel of leaders will discuss local responses to a storm and answer questions from the moderator.
EVENT 2 - October 2
Make an Emergency Plan Workshop
This in-person workshop will help participants create an emergency plan in the event of a hurricane, nor’easter, or major storm. Presenters will facilitate activities that help attendees think through how to keep family members and pets safe. The workshop begins with a short presentation on the benefits of having a plan in place and how to talk to family members about it. Public safety officials and disaster management professionals will walk you through an emergency plan template. A Q&A session will round out the program. Featured speakers include:● Todd Fitzgerald, Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Chief
● Jake McNeilly, Manchester-by-the-Sea Fire Chief
● Kyle McWilliam-Lopez, Executive Director, American Red Cross Northeast, MA
Participants will learn how to:
● Complete an emergency plan
● Identify and think through a place to evacuate to, such as staying with family members or locating a hotel
● Review a checklist on what to bring if an evacuation is determined
● Check-in with neighbors who might need help
● Locate important local information and resources
“We all have something to learn about how to prepare for a storm from these local emergency management professionals,” says Maureen Aylward, TownGreen’s executive director. “They have just completed a thorough review of how Cape Ann communities will coordinate in a storm and have valuable information to share
