http://www.shorepublishing.com/archive/re.aspx?re=9c8033d0-6713-4542-9d5e-0359b10398bf
1/6/2005
A Connecticut Department of Public Health grant has helped Clinton prepare for a potential accidental or intentional disaster. The town has just completed Phase II of its Public Health Emergency Response Plan. Accidental disasters could involve a chemical spill on I-95 or a chemical spill into a water supply. It could mean a fire near a main water source, or a chemical accident at a manufacturing plant releasing a poisonous vapor--called a plume--over the community. Intentional disasters could be a terrorist releasing a chemical, biological, nuclear, or radioactive release and/or explosion. A terrorist could be an individual, or a hate group intent on creating damage, death, and fear in a community. Joel Severance, bioterrorism coordinator for the town under the Public Health Emergency Response Plan Grant and the emergency management planner for HWCS, LLC, of Chester, and Ryan Grenon, Clinton's director of health, were tasked with implementing the $72,000 grant. As part of the Phase III Grant for 2005, Severance and Grenon will work with the Clinton Police Department, Fire Department, Emergency Management Services, and Public Works Department to incorporate the Health Department's role with the first responders and emergency response services in the time of a disaster. "We come into play when there is a public health issue," said Severance. "If it happens, we are ready." Phase II of the grant enabled the Health Department to set up the processes, the training, and the testing necessary that the town will need to be prepared in an emergency. The Health Department is also now responsible for monitoring unusual numbers of illness being reported to area medical facilities. For example, if a large group of schoolchildren became ill, or there was widespread illness in one area, these incidents will be investigated because they deviate from the norm. "Using the guidelines we have been given, we know how to act properly," said Grenon. In 2005, Severance and Grenon will look at several local public health response areas to update and improve to better prepare the town in case of a chemical or biological health affecting disaster. The first is communications. The Health Department has implemented a Federal and Statewide Health Alert Network communications system. Working with the Police and Fire Departments they can now communicate with first responders at an incident through a special 800MGHz radio system. As many officials remember from the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, radio and phone service, including cell phone usage, was unavailable. Severance and Grenon will also coordinate real-time drills that demonstrate how the infrastructure of disaster relief works in a real situation. Last summer, Grenon and Severance, along with Emergency Management Director Jeremy Hansen, participated in a real-time drill at the Bluefish Festival. They came away from the exercise with several areas to improve including dealing with increased noise and terrain obstacles. A third area of their preparedness planning is providing for people with special needs. For instance, if there was widespread evacuation, the emergency response units need to be able to communicate with people who may be deaf, or bed-ridden, or non-English speakers. Another important area of the planning has been to develop a regional health emergency plan involving 17 towns from Clinton, Essex, Old Lyme, and the Middletown areas. The state will write the plan, but Clinton has been asked to assist in localizing it. "The theory is that the whole is better than its parts," said Grenon. The regional plan takes advantage of equipment and skill sets that some town Health Departments have and others do not. The regional plan will allow the towns to share each other's services in the time of an emergency. Phase III of the grant, which has not yet been accepted by the town, would take place in 2005 and involve updating and expanding the implementation of this year's Public Health Emergency Response Plan.