Greenwich Citizen

Town's Storm Response Meets Homeland Security Standard

By patricia mcCORMACK

Friday, January 27, 2006- Perhaps Dan Warzoha should be popping vest buttons with pride over the Town of Greenwich response to two horrific wind, rain, sleet and snowstorms a week ago. You see, the Greenwich emergency response system he directs met the Homeland Security response standard for towns in natural or manmade disasters. As Greenwich Emergency Management Operations coordinator, Warzoha is the top person on the emergency response team. The Homeland Security standard, called the National Incident Management System, is this:

A municipality must be able to stand on its own feet 72 to 96 hours before getting help from the Federal Emergency Response Agency (FEMA). "The magnitude of this incident was very profound," Warzoha said. "Not since Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972 and the ice storm of 1973 have I seen such damage that went on for days." The bottom line on the town's response, according to Warzoha and First Selectman Jim Lash who was also asked to comment on response to the consecutive storms: The utility and phone company crews and town workers, and contractor tree cutters, and everyone, including the Red Cross and GEMS, did a fantastic job.

And as they go about thanking the workers and utility crews, both Warzoha and Lash say that the workers praise Greenwich citizens for being kind and extremely grateful to them as they went about their often very dangerous work. Lash, as Warzoha, noted that they believe there was no loss of life due to the professionalism and safety training of the workers. Both said once dimension of the storm surfaced late Saturday, the Town went into emergency response mode. The goal: Form a safety net for citizens and get Greenwich back on its feet. "When we analyze the situation in greater detail later," Warzoha said, "we will find some things that could be improved, but generally all the preparation, drilling and training for response to disasters came into play and paid off."

He related that the preparation for disaster has been going on since the 9/11 attack on America. GEMS, the Fire Department, the Health Department are fully trained. "More training is needed in the Police Department, Department of Public Work and Parks and Recreation," Warzoha said, noting that only 60 percent of the police are trained. "Homeland Security expects all municipalities to have its emergency response teams 100 percent trained by Oct. 1 of this year. The workers need to master incident Command Systems100 and 700. It isn't hard. It is mandatory." Warzoha said Greenwich went into emergency response mode early Sunday when the dimension of the storm became evident.

He said what could have been better was communication between the Town, CL&P and two telephone firms serving Greenwich Verizon and SBC. The phone companies control the poles the power companies string their lines on, hang transformers and other stuff on. Complicating the scene was this: Verizon controls the poles west of the Mianus River; SBC owns those east of the Mianus River. Lash said the response from the local CL&P couldn't possibly have been better. But he believes the response from the state CL&P could be improved more manpower, more equipment.

In that respect, according to Lash, a lot will depend on what the State Public Utility agency wants to do. Improvements, of course, will come at a price. Electric bills will be raised. So the ratepayers, he noted, have a stake in this, too. Incidentally, the Homeland Security standard of being able to stand on your own for 72 to 96 hours goes for families and individuals, too, Warzoha reminded. "A lot of it is just common sense," he said "But unfortunately, common sense isn't that common." The "Readiness Guide" distributed by the Town awhile back contains information to help folks bone up on survival skills in disasters. "Check it out," Warzoha said.