Chadds Ford develops Emergency Preparedness Committee

Posted by ChaddsFordLive on May 31, 2012

By Rich Schwartzman

A new committee, the Emergency Preparedness Committee, is inventing itself in Chadds Ford Township.

The group, which meets quarterly, held its second meeting of the year on May 30. Members discussed group objectives as well as actions other township residents can take.

The committee chairman is Bill Delaney. Chadds Ford Township Manager and Emergency Management Coordinator Joe Barakat and township Assistant Secretary/Treasurer Matt DiFilippo are assisting. Another nine members of the committee attended the meeting.

DiFilippo said he would like to see residents sign up for two specific programs, Delco Alerts and Special Needs Registry.

Delco Alerts is a free program run by the county that sends alerts via text and email regarding various emergency conditions. Residents can get all alerts or just those that address specific situations.

Special Needs Registry, as the name implies, is a way for residents with special needs — such as wheelchairs or oxygen — to register those needs online so that emergency responders can be better prepared to assist them if necessary.

To register, residents can go to SpecialneedsPa.org.

There are program brochures at the township building and DiFilippo said he can answer questions people might have.

Barakat told members that he sees them as “ambassadors for emergency preparedness,” but added that much of what they can do is to get people to take responsibility and be as self-reliant as possible in responding to emergency situations. He said he and DiFilippo represent two-thirds of the township staff so there’s little the township could do once there is an emergency.

Barakat also said the biggest emergency situation in the township is flooding.

The group as a whole reviewed a series of seven objectives that will be voted on at the next meeting. Among those objectives are preparing neighbors, promoting citizen response team activities, complementing professional responders and increasing awareness of potential risks of disasters.