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Fire marshal briefs council on hurricane preparedness; town details shelters, generators and debris plans
Summary
Fire Marshal Walter Summers told the South Windsor Town Council the town has invested in debris-removal equipment, portable generators and a 1-megawatt generator at the high school, and recommended residents prepare 72-hour emergency kits; the town will continue coordination with Eversource and maintain priority locations in storm response planning.
Fire Marshal Walter Summers told the South Windsor Town Council the town has strengthened its storm response capabilities but emphasized that residents should plan for 72-hour self-sufficiency during major storms.
Summers said the town's typical storm impacts are downed trees and power outages and described investments including debris-removal equipment, portable lights, chainsaws, and a 100 kW trailer-mounted generator donated to the town. "We used it at the EOC when we had a generator problem," he said, describing equipment usage in recent incidents.
Summers said the high school shelter now has a 1-megawatt generator and the town has upgraded its emergency operations center and backup dispatch center with federal grant support. He outlined the town's debris management plan using the John Mitchell Fairgrounds as the staging site and said the town will put the debris-removal contract out to bid.
On preparedness for households, Summers recommended a 72-hour plan: food, water, medications, charged phones and fresh batteries for flashlights. He warned residents not to run generators indoors because of carbon monoxide risks and urged use of licensed electricians for generator hookups.
Councilors asked whether response times could be shortened and whether the town could obtain more make-safe support from utilities. Summers and Town Manager Michael Maniscalco said response is often limited by utilities' capabilities and mutual-aid arrangements; historically, Eversource used to supply make-safe crews that worked alongside municipal crews but that practice has changed.
The council and staff also discussed prioritizing senior housing and other critical locations with the utility. Summers said senior living centers (other than Elm Street and Flax Hill) have generators and that the town's Human Services director maintains a list of residents with medical needs for emergency prioritization.
Summers closed by directing residents to preparedness resources (ready.gov, CT Alert, Everbridge and 211) and said the town will post shelter and event information on the town website.
