Hurricane Irene Advisories from Police, Fire Departments

The Wrentham police and fire departments have posted statements about Hurricane Irene on the town website.

The statements follow.

Fire Chief James McMorrow

The Town of Wrentham is currently identified as being in the path of Hurricane Irene, which may affect our community as early as Saturday afternoon.  In an effort to keep our citizens informed of protective measures and remediation efforts, the following information is detailed:

The last time our town was impacted significantly by such a storm was hurricane Bob, which occurred in 1991; presently, Hurricane Irene is following a similar track.

As of this posting, all departments have been in touch with each other, emergency preparations have begun. Should the storm follow the expected track, effective at 12:01am Sunday morning the town will declare a state of emergency. Selectman Botaish and I, as well as all of your public safety personnel, will react as needed. We anticipate upgrading staffing levels of all safety personnel including the manning of Station 2 as conditions may deteriorate.

Should conditions warrant, a shelter will be set up at the King Philip Regional High School, 201 Franklin Street.

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency has been informed of our intended actions, the state supported emergency radio network has been activated at our level, which allows us access to additional support services if needed, also providing current updates of our situation and of those around the region.

Wrentham residents should be aware that during hurricane Bob one of the high areas of impact was the loss of power for several days, a large portion of Town relies on private wells for water service, those who utilize well water should start storing water now.  Water filling stations will be made available as needed.

After the earthquake of this week a problem was identified in the northeast with overloading cell phone systems, please only use cellular phones to request emergency help if needed please try to text, or email those whom you wish to contact for non-emergent conversations.

Please prepare now, help us help you.

Additional information will be provided via email, cable and if needed through the emergency call back system.

www.mass.gov/mema provides updated storm information with how and what to prepare for.

Police Chief James Anderson

The Town of Wrentham, including the Police Department, Office of Emergency Management, Fire Department and Department of Public Works have begun to prepare for the eventual arrival of Hurricane Irene which is currently projected to hit the Massachusetts area sometime this Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011.

Meteorologists are calling this hurricane one of the most significant weather events to hit the east coast of theUnited States in decades. They are recommending that people begin taking action immediately to prepare for significant damage caused by high wind and flooding rain.

The Wrentham Police Department encourages residents to begin taking steps immediately to prepare for a significant weather event. Flooding has the potential to have aggravated effects if residents lose power for a length of time and/or have to leave their homes. The loss of power may prevent residents from operating pumps and other electrical items in their home.

Residents should ensure that they have the following items at a minimum:

1. Battery operated flashlights
2. Battery operated radio
3. Extra batteries
4. Fresh drinking water (water bottles)
5. Cell phones charged
6. A “Go Bag” prepared with necessary items (clean clothes, medicine, water, etc) in the event you have to quickly leave your residence.
7. Vehicle filled with gasoline
8. If you have a generator or pump, make sure it is in working order.
9. Unless evacuated, please stay in your homes for safety reasons.
10. Additionally, residents should begin taking in outdoor furniture, umbrellas and any other items that may be damaged by the storm.

In the event of an emergency during the storm, residents should call 9-1-1. For all other inquiries or to report property damage, please contact the Police Department at 508-384-2121 to speak with a police dispatcher.