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Board reviews multi-town shelter agreement making Kelly Middle School the Host Community in Norwich
Summary
The Board reviewed a regional Letter of Agreement with Norwich, other towns and the American Red Cross establishing Kelly Middle School as the primary multi-jurisdictional shelter, outlining staffing, pet-shelter arrangements, feeding, healthcare, cot inventories and cost-sharing; the LOA was provided as Attachment 5.
The Bozrah Board of Selectmen reviewed a regional Letter of Agreement on March 17 that designates the Kelly Middle School in Norwich as the Host Community for a multi-jurisdictional shelter serving Norwich, Bozrah, Franklin, Lisbon, Preston and Sprague, and setting roles for the Connecticut Chapter of the American Red Cross and DEMHS Region 4.
The LOA describes how the Host Community will provide a shelter facility and, if needed, an alternate site; Supporting Communities (including Bozrah) agree to assist in staffing, supplying and sharing shelter costs. The agreement sets expectations for an Incident Action Plan and unified command, describes Red Cross staffing and municipal liaisons, and anticipates a pet shelter adjacent to the shelter location. It also addresses feeding plans (three meals a day with snacks and water), health-care goals, cot inventories and coordination with DEMHS Region 4, police presence and communications lines, cleaning protocols with Uncas Health, liability considerations and the process for amendment or termination.
The Board received the LOA as Attachment 5; no formal vote on the LOA was recorded at the March 17 meeting. The document notes cost-sharing to be determined by the Host and Supporting Communities and that the Red Cross may require a separate shelter agreement if it manages operations.
Why it matters: the LOA creates a regional framework for sheltering residents in a widespread emergency and clarifies operational responsibilities (feeding, health care, pet sheltering, communications and cot inventories) that affect municipal emergency planning and potential fiscal obligations.
Next steps: the LOA requires signatures by participating municipalities and sets an allocation process for shelter costs; the Board reviewed the draft LOA in Attachment 5 and did not take a vote on it during the meeting.
