At the Town of Falmouth Local Emergency Planning Committee meeting, the Chief described the town's operational readiness: the meeting room can be converted into a functioning Emergency Operations Center (EOC) within roughly 30 minutes; Eversource and other utilities stage equipment locally (often at Falmouth Mall) so crews can be dispatched quickly after a storm; and multi-agency coordination through the MAC enables resource prioritization.
The Chief said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state police share responsibility for bridge-closure decisions and historically have used sustained high-wind thresholds as part of their criteria. During audience questioning, the Chief and meteorologist Frank O'Loughlin acknowledged a commonly cited guideline of about 70 mph for closures but emphasized the decision is made case-by-case based on wind, surge and other local conditions.
Volunteers are an important part of local response. Committee members noted CERT/CERC activity: one local volunteer registration event drew 14 members updating IDs, and the CERT vehicle is housed at the East Falmouth Fire Station to support shelter and response operations. The town tries to embed utility representatives in the EOC and coordinates with DPW and public-safety partners to prioritize restoring critical infrastructure.
Officials encouraged residents and organizations to sign up for local messaging, review household plans, and forward topic suggestions for future LEPC meetings to staff (contact: Kim). The committee said it will continue to share localized guidance via the town website and WebEOC and to invite subject-matter speakers to future sessions.