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Emergency Preparedness - Frequently Asked Questions Office of Emergency Management To Contact the Office of Emerency Management, please call: Other Important Contact Information: Arthur Lehr, Emergency Management Director: James Hussey, Police Chief Robert Silvia, Fire Chief J. Godzick, Health Agent Emergency Management - Frequently Asked Questions Question: Where is the designated shelter location for incidents that require evacuation? Answer: The local large scale shelter location is the Middle High School on Pond Street other smaller shelters may be designated as required. Question: What materials are provided for citizens at these shelters? Answer: Shelter occupants are provided with blankets, cots, toiletries, towels, water, and first aid supplies. Shelter managers will coordinate for other necessities such as food, medicine and notification of relatives during an incident.
Question: How can I get involved? Answer: CERT members receive training provided by the Cohasset Emergency Management office. The training will cover topics such as Emergency First Aid procedures and Incident Management protocol. To get involved please contact us at 781-383-4105.
Question: Is the School Department included in Emergency Management Planning? Answer: Yes, one School Committee Member, the School Department Business Manager and the Middle-High School Vice Principal, all are members of the Emergency Preparedness Committee. Our Emergency Plan relies heavily on the Schools Department’s facilities and assets. The Schools Safety and Crisis Plan in certain cases rely on the resources of various Town departments, agencies, and emergency management planning.
Question: What sort of public assistance will I be offered if I am affected by a disaster? Answer: In addition to the town of Cohasset offering sheltering and other forms of local aid, the state Emergency Management office has a division in charge of disaster recovery. The Disaster Recovery Division of MEMA deals directly with local disaster victims. It guides cities and towns, as well as individuals, through the loss reimbursement process. This includes the distribution of federal and state disaster monies for individuals, cities and towns, state agencies and eligible non-profit organizations to assist in their recovery efforts to restore the areas to pre-disaster condition. This division also administers the Public Assistance (PA) and Individual Assistance (IA) programs, monitors applicants to ensure that they have completed the programs in their entirety, and provides a full accounting of funds received. The division can be reached at 508-820-2000.
Question: What information do I need to prepare myself for flood response? Answer: Purchase a NOAA Weather Radio with battery backup and a tone-alert feature. Elevate your furnace, water heater, and electric panel to higher floors if they are susceptible to flooding. Install ‘check valves’ in sewer traps to prevent floodwater from backing up into the drains in your home. Monitor Media reports. Bring children’s toys, patio and lawn furniture indoors. Question: What is the town’s plan for notification of evacuation in the event of a hurricane or other disaster? Answer: The town is in the process of implementing the “Reverse 911” system to contact residents that an evacuation has been declared. Additionally, residents should monitor the radio and television for current information. Question: What sort of tips are available for boat owners during a natural disaster? Answer: Do not stay on the boat. Boat owners should assemble emergency equipment and supplies as well as all of the necessary gear on board to properly tie down their vessel. Realize that you may not be able to pull your boat out of the water. Precious time is lost if you are searching for gear as a storm approaches. Identify hurricane holes and safe harbors in the area in case you are caught at sea. Have a plan worked out with your marina operator so there are no questions or confusion when the time comes to tie up or pull the boat from the water. Insure your vessel is as watertight as possible. Use duct tape and plugs to seal hatches, ports, windows, doors and vents. Remove all electronics, valuables and non-essential items. Have your insurance policies, boat registration, a recent photograph and description of the vessel, gear inventory, marina or storage lease agreement and important telephone numbers (local harbormaster, U.S. Coast Guard, National Weather Service, insurance agent) in a secure place off of the boat. When you are through, help your neighbor. It only takes one poorly tied boat in a marina to destroy an entire dock. Question: What advise do I need to prepare myself for a terrorist attack? Answer: Be aware of your surroundings. Move or leave if you feel uncomfortable or if something does not seem right. Take precautions when traveling. Be aware of conspicuous or unusual behavior. Do not accept packages from strangers. Do not leave luggage unattended. You should promptly report unusual behavior, suspicious or unattended packages, and strange devices to the police or security personnel. Learn where emergency exits are located in buildings you frequent. Plan how to get out in the event of an emergency. Be prepared to do without services you normally depend on—electricity, telephone, natural gas, gasoline pumps, cash registers, ATMs, and Internet transactions. Question: What is the National Response Plan and how can I get a copy of it? Answer: The National Response Plan establishes a comprehensive all-hazards approach to enhance the ability of the United States to manage domestic incidents. The plan incorporates best practices and procedures from incident management disciplines—homeland security, emergency management, law enforcement, firefighting, public works, public health, responder and recovery worker health and safety, emergency medical services, and the private sector—and integrates them into a unified structure. It can be downloaded from the FEMA website. |