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Residents say heat annex failed during July heat wave; emergency director defends town's response
Summary
Public commenters at the July 13 meeting said Bennington's heat-response annex did not trigger expected outreach or cooling centers during an early-July heat wave; Emergency Management Director and Police Chief Paul Doucette defended town actions and said thresholds and National Weather Service maps did not trigger formal activation, while the board acknowledged communication gaps.
Residents and local organizers pressed the Select Board on July 13 to explain why actions outlined in the town's newly adopted heat annex were not fully implemented during a recent multi-day heat event.
Martha Mackey, who helped organize work on the local emergency-management plan, told the board the annex included activation thresholds and a list of responsibilities that were not carried out: "when the heat index reaches 95 to 104 degrees, public outreach prior to actual dates of incident...did not happen," she said, and added the town did not activate many listed cooling places or mobilize community networks during the heat wave.
Several presenters noted that many potential cooling locations are voluntary partners and that awareness and transportation barriers keep vulnerable residents from using those sites. Sheila Molineaux and Wendy Lyons emphasized that elders, people with disabilities and residents without cars are especially at risk and said communications should be broader and more accessible (for example, not relying on a single website and ensuring public alerts are available in formats such as ASL).
Chief Paul Doucette, who also serves as the town's emergency management director, defended the town's steps and said staff monitored conditions and worked with businesses and volunteer partners: "I felt like we were on top of it," he said, noting that managers checked that big-box stores had pallets of water and moved air conditioners to accessible locations. Doucette added that the National Weather Service did not include Bennington County in its heat-advisory map for the busiest day, which influenced his decision not to activate large formal shelters: "Bennington County is not included in the heat annex Situation for tomorrow, according to the National Weather Service out of Burlington," he said in response to questions about thresholds.
Residents and some board members said that even if the formal triggers were not met, the town needs clearer channels to inform partners and vulnerable residents, pre-arranged transportation options, and a sustainable staffing plan for emergency activation. Several speakers suggested a part-time paid emergency-management position or per-diem staffing for activation periods; board members asked staff to debrief and return with specific steps to improve communications and better align volunteer partners with official activation procedures.
The board directed staff to review the heat annex implementation, improve communications about available cooling locations and transportation options, and report back with concrete changes before the next expected hot period.
