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Sharon fire chief briefs COA on SAFE program, Community Connect and Everbridge alerts
Summary
Sharon Fire Chief Michael Madden explained the town's 911 dispatch process and described three emergency initiatives: the SAFE Program (smoke alarms/lock boxes), Community Connect (resident data for responders), and Everbridge (mass/text alerting); he said SAFE funding for 2026 is pending.
Michael Madden, identified at the meeting as Sharon’s fire chief, briefed the COA Advisory Board on the town’s emergency response tools and programs at the Jan. 12 meeting.
Madden described how the 911 dispatch process operates in Sharon and summarized several programs the department uses to support older residents. He said the SAFE Program, administered through the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, funds smoke alarms and lock boxes for residents; the chief noted the program is funded through the calendar year and the town is presently awaiting confirmation of funding for 2026.
Madden also outlined Community Connect, a service that allows residents to share household and contact information with the Fire Department to aid responders during emergencies. He introduced Everbridge, a new town communications system intended to send emergency texts to the entire community or targeted areas to provide timely updates during storms, outages, fires and road closures. Madden answered board members’ follow-up questions but did not request any formal board action.
