"Ensuring
Community Safety Through
Education
and Preparedness"

Town of Southborough
,
Massachusetts
Emergency
Management Agency (SEMA)
John
D. Mauro, Jr. Director (508) 485-3235 x401
Neal
P. Aspesi, Director of Operations (508) 485-3235 x437
and
Southborough
Emergency
Management Agency
Home Page
Emergency
Information 
Public
Information: Swine Flu
From
Southborough Board of Health and Emergency Management 4/28/09
Background:
Swine Flu (H1N1) is similar to the common human flu, however at this time there
is no vaccination or direct medication treatment.
As of April 28, 2009, only minor cases have been reported in the
United States
(Note: frequently check news reports for updates)
Forward: There
is no need for public panic. Southborough
and State/Federal Agencies have plans in place if needed.
The BEST the public can do is
become informed, practice prevention & follow instructions.
Prevention:
Wash
hands frequently, cover mouth when coughing, disinfect commonly touched
surfaces.
Information/Facts:
-
Southborough
Town
website at www.southboroughtown.com
-
Fire Dept website (Emergency Management link) at www.southboroughfire.org
-
Massachusetts Dept of Public Health at www.mass.gov/dph
-
Center for Diseases Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov
-
Mass211 (information telephone network) by dialing 211
-
Primary care doctor
Signs & Symptoms:
-
Flu like symptoms WITH a fever of 101+ F
Procedure if you have signs & symptoms:
-
Stay home (from school, work, etc) and away from people
-
Cover your mouth with cloth when coughing (or wear a barrier mask)
-
Call your Primary Care Doctor (if none call local clinic or
doctors office)
-
DO NOT go to Emergency Room (ER) without consulting a doctor
-
If advise to go to ER by a doctor – you MUST inform the ER of
your condition before entering – to prevent transmission to others
If you test positive for Swine Flu:
-
Please notify the Southborough Board of Health
-
Follow Doctors orders
-
Remain home for 7 days after on-set or 24 hours after fever
subsides – which ever is longer.
What is swine influenza (flu)?
Swine influenza (swine flu) is
a respiratory disease of pigs caused by a type of influenza virus. Outbreaks of
swine flu happen regularly in pigs. People do not normally get swine flu, but
human infections can and do happen. Most commonly, human cases of swine flu
happen in people who are around pigs but it’s possible for swine flu viruses
to spread from one person to another. In the
United States
there were 12 cases of swine flu in people from 2006 through 2008. In March and
April 2009 there have been many more cases of swine flu than usual in both
Mexico and the U.S. and the infections have spread from one person to
another.
How can I protect myself and others from swine flu?
You
can protect yourself and others from swine flu the same way that you can
protect yourself from seasonal flu. Avoid holding, hugging, kissing, or
shaking hands with anyone who has a cold or the flu. Wash your hands often with
soap and warm water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Avoid touching your nose, mouth or
eyes.
Clean things that are touched often like door
handles, telephones, etc. If
you get sick with a flu-like illness say home from work and school and avoid
contact with others so the virus does not spread.
For
information on the SWINE FLU, click here
and
here (Centers for Disease Control) site
Non-Emergency
Public Information:
Seasonal
Hazards:
*Thunderstorm,
Tornado & Flood Info/Preparedness - National Weather Service
*Earthquake
Facts and Safety Tips - New England
*Notable
New England Hurricanes
*TURN
AROUND DON'T DROWN - National Weather Service
*Watch/Warning/Advisory
Criteria
*National
Weather Service - Boston: Watches/Warnings/Advisories Issuance Page
_____________________________________________________________________________
SEMA
News:
(Updated:
April 1, 2009)
--------------------------------
Southborough Community
Emergency Response Team & Medical Reserve Corps (CERT/MRC) launched new
website: (www.southboroughcertmrc.org)
_______________________
SEMA
puts new Mobile Communications/Command Unit in-service
(click
links below for pictures and information)
Picture
& Info 1
Picture & Info 2
Picture
& Info 3 Picture &
Info 4
__________________________________
*** SEMA
Mobile Equipment ***
(Available
for response to other Massachusetts communities)
EM-1
(Communications/Command
Trailer - 2007), EM-2
(Light Tower/6kw Generator - 2001),
EM-3
(Military Heater Trailer), EM-4
(Light Tower/6kw Generator - 2008), EM-5
(CERT/MRC Trailer - 2008),
EM-6
(Water Buffalo - non-potable), EM-7
(Traffic Message Board -2008)
What
are SEMA
and LEPC:
The Town of Southborough
Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC),
a branch of SEMA, are the tasked with undertaking all activities and measures necessary to
prepare for, respond to and mitigate various disasters of natural, technological
and man-made causes. In addition, the LEPC is specifically responsible for
maintaining information on and developing emergency response preplans for
locally used/stored Hazardous Materials and those that travel through town via
road and rail.
Many times the scope of emergency management is misunderstood.
While SEMA prepares for response to and quick recovery from major
disasters, the agency also focuses on identifying and implementing mitigation
steps for smaller more common emergencies, such as the installation of
generators at vital town buildings including communication and shelter sites to
remain operational during power outages.
Natural disasters, toxic material releases and mass injury incidents are all
possible threats to Southborough. When disasters strike the Town’s government
responds through its Emergency Management Agency by activating the Emergency
Operation Center (EOC). The EOC is a facility where all members of the Town’s
Emergency Management Team, consisting of town government, employees and
businesses, organize to coordinate appropriate actions during and following
emergencies.
SEMA has
taken measures to mitigate, prepare, respond, and recover from numerous types of
emergency incidents and disasters through the development of the Town’s
Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP).
This plan also is used to coordinate with the
Massachusetts
and federal; Emergency Management Agencies during large scale incidents. The
LEPC tracks Hazardous materials and maintains copies of Material Safety Data
Sheets (MSDS) of all federally identified Hazardous chemicals used and stored in
town and maintains the Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Plan section of
the CEMP.
Preparing for
an emergency requires organization, information, training, and exercises. During
an emergency, Town forces are organized under the Incident Command System (ICS) in compliance
with the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
The ICS is a standard method of managing emergencies and has been adopted by
many State and Federal Agencies. NIMS
is a system mandated by Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)
-5 that provides a consistent nationwide approach for Federal, State, local
and tribal governments; the private sector; and non-governmental organizations
to work effectively and efficiently together to prepare for, respond to, and
recover from incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity. To
provide for interoperability and compatibility among Federal, State, local and
tribal capabilities, the NIMS includes a core set of concepts, principles and
terminology.
Disasters
demand a number of special services that must be ready to roll out in a moments
notice and caring for citizens. The Town as several predestinated assets in and
around town and several shelter facilities strategically placed throughout town.
The CEMP
mentioned earlier, is an all hazards response plan that includes board adaptable
plans for various disasters and/or emergencies that could occur in or around the
Town of
Southborough
. Other topics include; specialized
hazardous areas and populations, notification and communication under normal and
adverse conditions, predestinated evacuation routes, etc. The plan also includes
volumes of annexes containing further detailed maps and information and any
supplement plans added. The CEMP is reviewed and certified periodically by the
Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). To ensure the effective use of
the plan and maintain proficient SEMA and LEPC conduct regular meetings and
bi-annual training exercises.
Responding to a
disaster draws upon every resource available to the Town. To coordinate all the
agencies involved in a major incident, the Town establishes an Emergency
Operations Center (EOC).
The EOC is a predestinated room within one (primary) of two (back-up)
buildings within different sections of town.
The EOC is set-up as a
Command
Center
encompassing multiple telephone lines, multiple internet access ports, multiple
radios, situation boards, desks and a centralized boardroom for all hands
meetings. The EOC’s main
responsibilities include; deciding incident response priorities, logistically
obtaining and allocation resources, maintaining contact with all involved
parties (local, State, Federal), coordinating the actions in the field and
maintaining detailed documentation. It
is not the responsibility of the EOC to manage tactics implemented in the field
that remains the responsibility of each incident’s assigned Incident Commander
(IC). Information for Town residents will be channeled through a Public
Information Officer (PIO) in
order to provide accurate information and quell rumors. This
will be disseminated through local cable channels and the town website.
Recovery is
perhaps the most difficult phase of any disasters. Peoples’ lives have been
altered, people have been injured or unfortunately killed and damaged homes and
business must be repaired or rebuilt. The goal of the SEMA/LEPC is to take all
steps necessary to return the Town of
Southborough
, both residential and commercial infrastructure, to an essential operational
level and ultimately back to a normal operation level as soon as possible.
The public should be aware, as such recent disasters a 9/11 in NYC and
Hurricane Katrina have shown, that recovery can be a very long and painful
process, but by setting realistic goals and maintaining a united positive focus
the Town can and will return to normalcy. The EMD/LEPC works closely with other
agencies, such as The American Red Cross and Salvation Army, to further assist
families and the community. Many volunteers come forward in disasters.
Volunteer’s staff shelters, help neighbors clear away debris, provide
four-wheel drive vehicles to help critical workers such as medical personnel get
through snow storms. The best of a community shines through the worst times.
During and immediately following a disaster the demand on emergency management
resources can be staggering and severely hamper effective immediate response to
all victims. Due to this fact SEMA
strongly encourages each individual citizen to prepare and be self-sufficient
for up to 72 hours (a national set standard).
Citizens should become educated about the types and effects of various
disasters, know how to react, know how to follow the Town’s emergency plans
and construct an individual or family disaster kit.
All this information can be found within this site.