LWV Panel on Emergency Preparedness
On the evening of Nov.17, 2004, the League of Women Voters hosted a forum on Emergency Preparedness at the Greenwich Town Hall. First Selectman James Lash coordinated the panel, which consisted of both Town Departments and non-Town agencies. The agency representatives serving on the panel were Deputy Police Chief Pat Chila, Fire Chief Dan Warzoha, Director of Health Caroline Baisley and the Emergency Operations Management Coordinator Paul Connelly. The non-Town agencies included the American Red Cross, Greenwich Chapter, the Greenwich Hospital and Greenwich Emergency Medical Services. In addition, there were two guests from the State of Connecticut in attendance to answer questions related to their fields of expertise. The panelists gave a short presentation related to their programs, which are currently in place or being developed. The agency presentations were followed by a question and answer period.
Numerous questions were asked covering subjects such as: generators, the Town's emergency operation centers, shelters, evacuation, inoculation for small pox, Indian Point, water supply safety, public decontamination and public warning systems. Dr. Edward Wilds, from the State Department of Environmental Protection, discussed the State of Connecticut's response as a result of an incident at the Indian Point facility located on the Hudson River in New York. Mr. Richard Fournier of the State Office of Emergency Management spoke of the State's response to an event in or near Greenwich, indicating that the state emergency operation center would be opened in order to assist in the supplying of, or procurement of, resources necessary to facilitate the expeditious conclusion of the event.
The forum was concluded with a final statement from Selectmen Lash indicating that the efforts to prepare for a major emergency are taken seriously by all relevant agencies, and that this planning also includes the participation by federal and state agencies. Selectman Lash thanked the League of Women Voters for hosting the event and the panelist for their efforts with the presentations.
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