MASSACHUSETTS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS MONTH

MEMA ENCOURAGES FAMILIES TO ‘MAKE A PLAN’ AS PART OF MASSACHUSETTS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS MONTH




FRAMINGHAM, MA – As part of Massachusetts Emergency Preparedness Month, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) urges families to ‘Make a Plan’.

“It is important to develop a Family Emergency Plan that outlines what you will do, how you will find each other, and how you will communicate in an emergency or disaster” states MEMA Director Kurt Schwartz. “Taking the time to develop and practice your Family Emergency Plan before the next disaster can keep you and your family safe, protect your property, and build your community’s resilience.”


A Family Emergency plan should:

 Include an Emergency Contact
Ask an out-of-state friend or relative to serve as your family’s emergency contact. After a disaster, it is sometimes easier to call long distance to unaffected areas.
Provide every family member with the name, address, and phone number of the emergency contact and make sure each family member has a cellphone or a prepaid phone card.
Inform your emergency contact of any family member’s special needs or medical issues.
List emergency contacts in cellphones as “ICE” (in case of emergency), which will make it easier for emergency personnel to contact the right person.
Use alternate communications methods:
Show all family members how to text message, as it may be easier to send a text than make a call during an emergency.
Learn how to use social media. Social media can be an effective tool to let friends and family know your location and status.
Keep the American Red Cross Safe and Well service in mind. Use it to register yourself as “safe and well” or search for loved ones after a disaster.





Establish Meeting Locations


Select two family meeting locations: choose one location close to home and another farther away, in case you need to evacuate or cannot return to the area. 


Provide Evacuation Information


Identify and practice how you will exit your home.
Establish possible evacuation routes to ensure you are able to get to designated meeting locations. Talk to your local emergency management agency to learn about evacuation routes.
Identify available modes of transportation.
Make arrangements with family, neighbors, friends, or local government if you don’t have personal transportation.
If you need assistance, contact local public safety officials to make them aware of your needs.

Include Instructions for Sheltering In Place

Designate safe room(s) within your home. These rooms should have:

As few windows or doors as possible.

Access to television, radio and telephones.

Ensure you have necessary supplies and can access your emergency kit.

If you receive medical treatments or home healthcare services, work with your medical provider to identify options if you are unable to leave your home for a period of time.
Review tips to safely shelter in place. 


Special Considerations

Plan for everyone in your household including individuals with access and functional needs, seniors, children, and pets.

Don’t forget to practice your plan with your household!
                                                                                                                                                                           MEMA is the state agency charged with ensuring the state is prepared to withstand, respond to, and recover from all types of emergencies and disasters, including natural hazards, accidents, deliberate attacks, and technological and infrastructure failures. MEMA's staff of professional planners, communications specialists and operations and support personnel is committed to an all hazards approach to emergency management. By building and sustaining effective partnerships with federal, state and local government agencies, and with the private sector - individuals, families, non-profits and businesses - MEMA ensures the Commonwealth's ability to rapidly recover from large and small disasters by assessing and mitigating threats and hazards, enhancing preparedness, ensuring effective response, and strengthening our capacity to rebuild and recover. For additional information about MEMA and Emergency Preparedness, go to www.mass.gov/mema.



Continue to follow MEMA updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MassEMA; Facebook at www.facebook.com/MassachusettsEMA; YouTube at www.youtube.com/MassachusettsEMA.



Massachusetts Alerts: to receive emergency information on your smartphone, including severe weather alerts from the National Weather Service and emergency information from MEMA, download the Massachusetts Alerts free app. To learn more about Massachusetts Alerts, and for information on how to download the free app onto your smartphone, visit: www.mass.gov/mema/mobileapp.

Sober Driving Initiative

As summer winds down, Wrentham Police will be out in force looking for impaired drivers.  From August 14 to September 7, the Wrentham Police Department will be teaming up with Massachusetts State Police and more than 191 eligible local police departments across the state to curb impaired driving and save lives.  The 25-day, high-visibility campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, is funded by a federal grant administered through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division (EOPSS/HSD).  

In 2013, there were 10,076 people killed across the country in drunk-driving crashes, and 118 of those people were killed on Massachusetts roadways.  As people celebrate the final days of summer, Labor Day weekend is a dangerous time to be on the roads.  Thirty eight percent of national crash fatalities on Labor Day weekend in 2013 involved drunk drivers with blood alcohol concentrations [BACs] of .08 or higher, amounting to 161 lives lost across the country.  There were four fatalities that same weekend in Massachusetts.    

In every state, it’s illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher.  Chief James Anderson wants to remind Wrentham area drivers that driving sober is not a recommendation – it’s the law.  During the upcoming enforcement period, there will be a special emphasis on drunk-driving enforcement.  Local drivers should expect to see more patrol vehicles, OUI checkpoints, and increased messaging about this reckless crime.  

 The Wrentham Police Department also reminds motorists that wearing a safety belt is your best defense against drunk and aggressive drivers and your own mistakes. 

Distracted Driving Enforcement

WRENTHAM POLICE NEWS RELEASE

 

Wrentham Police Department to Participate in Statewide Texting
Enforcement Crackdown

 

The Wrentham Police Department will join the 191 eligible Massachusetts law enforcement agencies in the national U Drive. U Text. U Pay. mobilization to crack down on motorists who text while driving.  The campaign, which combines traditional and innovative enforcement strategies, is funded by a federal grant administered through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division (EOPSS/HSD) from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).  The mobilization begins April 10, 2015 and continues through May 1, 2015.  

 

“Driving and texting is illegal and irresponsible.  People who break our state’s texting law will be stopped and fined.  If you drive and text, you will pay,” said Lt. George Labonte.  

 

Texting while driving was outlawed in Massachusetts effective September 30, 2010.  Adult drivers who write, send, or read electronic messages or browse the Internet while driving face a $100 fine for a first offense – even if the vehicle is stopped in traffic!  Juvenile operators are entirely prohibited from using mobile phones and other electronic devices while driving, including to make phone calls.  The fine for a juvenile first offense is $100 and includes a 60 day license suspension and required completion of a driver attitudinal course. 

 

These costly violations underscore the danger inherent in the use of electronic devices while driving.  Nationally in 2013, there were 3,154 people killed and an estimated 424,000 people injured in motor vehicle crashes involv­ing distracted drivers.  

 

According to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute’s 2012 “Teen Driver Distraction Study,” 25% of teens respond to a text message at least once every time they drive.  20% of teens and 10% of parents admit that they have multi-message text conversations while driving.

 

“It’s not that complicated: if you text and drive, we will see you, pull you over, and fine you.  We’re serious about enforcing texting laws and protecting the motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians who use our roadways” said Lt. Labonte.

Citizen's Police Academy

The Wrentham Police Department is pleased to announce the commencement of a Citizens Police Academy. The Academy will run from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm for seven consecutive Tuesday’s, beginning on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 and conclude on June 30, 2015. This informational academy will be held in the public safety training room, located on the main floor of the Public Safety building.

 

        The Citizen Police Academy is designed to familiarize citizens with the operation and function of the Wrentham Police Department. Classes will cover various topics such as Criminal Law, Patrol Procedures, Domestic Violence, Motor Vehicle Enforcement, Identity Theft, Emergency Communication Center, Court Procedures, and Use of Force.

 

        There is no charge to attend, however, you must be 18 years or older. The class is limited to 25 applicants. Applications may be picked up at the Wrentham Police Department, 89 South Street or email Lt. George Labonte at labonte@police.wrentham.ma.us  The application must be submitted or emailed to Lt. Labonte by Friday May 1, 2015. Preference will be given to Wrentham residents.

National Grid Notice

January 8, 2015 CONTACT: David Graves – 401-784-7540

During this holiday season National Grid and local police departments received an increasing
number of calls from customers being targeted by billing scam artists and impersonators trying to gain
access to account information and entry to National Grid customers’ homes. The bill scams mirror
reports received by utility companies throughout the country where the scammers are demanding
immediate payment for electricity and natural gas bill balances and threatening immediate service shutoff
if payments are not received within an hour or two. If the customer has made a payment, the caller
will say that the payment has not been received and an immediate payment must be made. For the
most part the scammers are demanding that the customer secure a pre-paid debit card and provide the
account number to the scammer who then redeems the card.
National Grid does contact customers with past due balances by phone to offer payment
options. Direct payment is an option but direct payment is never demanded as a prerequisite for
continued service. If customers wish, they can arrange for a payment by check, credit card or debit
card if they speak directly to a customer service representative. Payment can also be made by credit
card or debit card without a representative’s assistance. National Grid does not accept pre-paid debit
cards for payment and would never ask a customer to acquire one of these cards to make a bill
payment.
The callers have shown to be adept at extracting account information from unsuspecting
customers and they use sophisticated telephone technology to convince customers they are actually
calling from National Grid.
Ask Questions/Demand Proper ID
In addition to the on-going fraudulent bill collection calls, there have been recurring reports of
individuals going door-to-door, identifying themselves as employees of National Grid and demanding to
see the customer’s electricity or natural gas bills. In other instances, people claiming to be a utility
company employee have been able to gain entry to a home by telling the customer they must inspect
their meter, which is usually located in the customer’s basement. When the customer accompanies the
impersonator into the basement, an accomplice enters the home and removes items of value without
the customer knowing it.
 News Release
NATIONAL GRID WARNS CUSTOMERS TO GUARD THEMSELVES
AND SENSITIVE ACCOUNT INFORMATION
Reports of Home Invasions, Billing Scams and Employee Impersonators Increased
During The Holiday SeasonIn all instances when customers come in contact with any individual claiming to represent
National Grid, they should verify their identity before divulging account information, making a bill
payment or allowing access to their home. If a customer has any concerns about the nature of the
contact they should call National Grid’s Customer Contact Center immediately to clarify billing issues
and confirm the identity of the person trying to secure account information or gain entry to the home.
In New England, customers can reach the Center at 1-800-322-3223.