East Haven Fire Department has been rated one of the nation's top-10 best when it comes to being ready for emergencies

Fire department among 10 best

Joe McGurk, Register Staff

June 27, 2002

EAST HAVEN — It's not the biggest, or the busiest, but the East Haven Fire Department has been rated one of the nation's top-10 best when it comes to being ready for emergencies.

The Federal Emergency Management Administration's U.S. Fire Administration chose the department over 500 others based on how well the agency is prepared to react to and prevent disasters.

"It's not because we fight fires well, it's all the extra things we do toward emergency management," said Fire Chief Wayne Sandford.

Rita Henderson, project manager for FEMA's Fire Service Based Multi-Hazard Mitigation Project, said East Haven will be used as a model to show other department's how to plan for emergencies.

FEMA will use East Haven's programs as an example for other departments in an upcoming Resource Tool Manual that will be disseminated to departments across the nation.

Programs East Haven runs that caught FEMA's eye include:

•Having an emergency operation plan in place, which is a rarity, that details what should be done in various types of emergencies, such as floods, fires and car crashes. FEMA also credited East Haven for having a variety of equipment, like rescue boats and a variety of specialized trucks.

•An electronic warning system that notifies the department when the Farm River is nearing flood level. The warning system ties into a reverse 911 system that the department can use to call residents when they are in danger of floods or any other disaster.

•An organization of HAM radio operators who assist the department in communicating during emergencies.

•The department audited each residence along the shores and rivers to identify which were prone to flooding. Some of the homes in worst peril were repaired with funds from FEMA.

The work ranged from raising two houses to caulking and installing storm shutters on others. Workers also raised flood-prone Cosey Beach Avenue.

•The department gives residents specialized bags that can be put around furniture and appliances to help prevent flood damage.

•Together with Home Depot, the department is planning a day-long demonstration of how to flood-proof a house.

The department also was credited for giving free smoke detectors to families with newborn babies, and for efforts not normally coordinated by a fire department, like installation of infant seats in automobiles.

The department also provides youth bicyclists with personalized stickers for their helmets so emergency workers can quickly identify a person in an accident.

Emergency personnel also provide "vials of life," which are sealed bottles that contain a list of documents a person can put in a safe place (usually a refrigerator) so emergency workers can have a handy place to find pertinent information like, medical history and allergies.

"When it comes to preventing and preparing for a multiple of hazards, East Haven is doing really good," Sandford said. "Our goal is to help residents the best we can."

He credits the FEMA recognition to the daily work of the 53 career fire fighters and 45 volunteers.

Joe McGurk can be reached at jmcgurk@nhregister.com or 789-5710.