Board hears chief on hurricane preparedness
When it comes to the prospect of a hurricane striking Shelter Island, some people resort to crossed fingers and/or prayer.
Police Chief James Read, however, has a plan.
The odds seem to be in Shelter Island’s favor that a hurricane will be a nonevent for the autumn of 2014.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s data indicates there’s a 70 percent chance of a “below normal” Atlantic hurricane season this year. But that also means there’s a 30 percent chance Mother Nature visits the Island in an extremely ugly mood.
As emergency management coordinator for the Island, Chief Read gave a report to the Town Board Tuesday on preparedness for a hurricane or other potential natural or man made disasters.
He also had a new idea. Citing reliable and rapid communication as one of the essential tools to save lives and property during an emergency, Chief Read proposed adopting a system called “CodeRed,” run by a Florida based company, Emergency Communications Network.
CodeRed is a web-based emergency notification service that contacts residents with important information and directions through multiple platforms, including voicemail, texts, email, social media and a mobile alert app.
All residents within the 911 area could be reached via phone, or could contact the Police Department requesting other ways of getting information through CodeRed. Chief Read noted that this not only would benefit those on the Island when a dangerous situation arises, but second homeowners, for example, could receive information before coming to the Island. This would mean less people here and on the roads for first responders to deal with in managing the situation.
CodeRed can also be used for any emergency management situation, including chemical spills, terrorist threats, drinking water contamination, power outages and police work, such as a missing child or hostage situations.
The cost is $2,000 annually, and Chief Read said he would be including that figure in his budget to present to the Town Board for 2015 funding.
In February the town hosted a course on shelter operations and management for town and school staffs as well as Fire Department and Emergency medical Service personnel.
Emergency operations will be run out of police headquarters, but the basement of Justice Hall has been designated as an alternative center. Chief Read said that plans to make the space operational were about 85 percent completed.
The process is almost complete, the chief said, to receive government grants for new generators at Town Hall, police headquarters, Justice Hall and the American Legion Hall, where the old Police Department generator will be installed.
