NORTHBOROUGH LOCAL EMERGENCY PLANNING COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
February 26, 2013
Attendees: Deborah Bent, Fire Department Administrative Assistant, John Coderre, Town Administrator, Dudley Darling, General Manager-Juniper Hill Golf Course, David Durgin, Fire Chief/Emergency Manager and LEPC Co-Chairman, Kim Hood, Assistant Town Administrator, Christine Johnson, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Mark Leahy, Police Chief, Gerry LeBlanc, Facilities Director-Beaumont/Whitney Place, Fred Lonardo, Inspector of Buildings, Dan Nason, DPW Director, Laurie Pardee, Nurse/Health Leader, Michael Pippos, Health Safety Manager-Genzyme, Leslie Rutan, Board of Selectmen, Mike Serapiglia, HSE Manager-Saint-Gobain, Mark Simmons, Environmental Assistant-Genzyme, Jamie Terry, Northborough Health Agent, Michael Zaccaria, A. Duie Pyle
Chief Durgin called the meeting to order at 10:10 a.m., introducing himself and inviting attendees to do the same. A motion was made, seconded, and voted unanimously to dispense with the reading of the September 5, 2012 LEPC Meeting minutes and to accept them as written.
Emergency Plans - Chief Durgin reported that Nancy Lepore, Northborough’s Hazardous Materials Assistant, began updating the Hazmat Plan and the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) in November of 2012, with both documents printed in January, 2013 and accepted by William Pantazis, the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen the same month. Information from special locations, hazmat info from EPCRA facilities, including Tier II forms, were input into an Excel spreadsheet and merged into the plan. The Chief noted that there was a copy of this document at the back of the room for review by each individual facility’s representative.
Letters requesting Tier II chemical and hazardous inventories were sent out to each EPCRA facility on January 22, 2013. This information is due annually be March 1. Additionally, letters requesting updated information from facilities and entities with plan information more than a year old will be requested shortly for submission in the next plan update.
Hazardous Materials Emergency Planning Grant – The Northborough LEPC has been offered an LEPC grant by MEMA for 2013. These funds will provide operating items, printing costs, postage and postage meter rental, and office supply items for use of LEPC.
Public Outreach – LEPC outreach information is posted on cable television approximately once a month for a few days to inform the public of the activities of the LEPC, hazmat information in town, and right-to-know access information.
New Business – Chief Durgin reported that the town has been working with the Central MA Regional Planning Commission on a hazard analysis including evacuation and shelter planning information which will be part of a national plan. Additionally, the town is hoping to partner with CMRPC to repair the Church Street culvert.
-2-
New Business (Continued)
Chief Durgin noted that generators have been replaced at the Melican Middle School and at the fire station and upgraded at the police station, and plans for a mobile trailer generator are being completed to deal with power losses. V-Tach channels have been installed with the re-banding of the town’s radios.
John Coderre reported on the new positions of primary Shelter Coordinator (Town Clerk Andrew Dowd) and secondary Shelter Coordinator (Health Agent Jamie Terry) and the January 30 meeting to review shelter plans. Over the next few months, efforts will be made to recruit and screen volunteers to help at shelters and to plan a more permanent shelter approach. Town staff will be the core volunteers, however, citizen volunteers will be sought to assist. Funding in the amount of $28,000 has been submitted in the Capital Improvement Plan for shelter supplies, and the generator at the Melican Middle School, the town’s primary shelter, has recently been upgraded.
John also discussed a new community-specific notification system for the town’s residents – Code Red – which will be rolled out at the beginning of the summer. Northborough, Shrewsbury, and Southborough have joined together in this system, allowing for a significant cost saving to all three communities. Residents will be able to opt in and receive emergency/weather information by text, cell phone, e-mail, home phone, etc. John recommended that attendees encourage co-workers to sign-up for this system once it is available.
Attendees each discussed subjects pertinent to their facilities/organizations including school safety protocols, MSDS updated submission by the Northborough DPW, the Student Safety Network, back-up power at Genzyme, possible hacking of the Code Red System, etc. Leslie Rutan commended town departments and administrators for all of their efforts relating to the recent weather emergencies and community outreach.
The meeting was adjourned by Chief Durgin at 10:50 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Deborah D. Bent
Recording Secretary