VCOG Emergency Operations Planning

Main Street
Railroad Station
Derby, CT 06418
(203) 735-8688
FAX (203) 735-8680


VCOG has received Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds from the Connecticut Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to perform Emergency Operations Planning services with emphasis on potential terrorist activities involving Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). VCOG has contracted with Environmental Management Geological Consultants Inc. (EMGC) of Shelton, CT to provide this plan. EMGC will perform a review of the local municipal Emergency Operations Plans (EOP). Information gained from this process will help identify resource gaps relative to threat potential and identified exposures. EMGC will work with the four towns of Ansonia, Derby, Seymour and Shelton to insure that the individual EOPs reflect a comprehensive, integrated approach to planning for and responding to WMD terrorism incidents and all other hazards, disasters and emergencies. A byproduct of this process will be the formation of effective regional response plans to bridge the gap between emergencies handled by local agencies and those requiring state or federal assistance. This regional planning approach will help insure effective response to large scale incidents or concurrent multiple events until such time as state and federal assistance is received. Every Valley agency is being encouraged to participate in this process. The initial phase of the planning will involve data collection and analysis. This will include a comprehensive vulnerability assessment and the survey of baseline capabilities to address potential threats. EMGC will then coordinate planning meetings and tabletop exercises involving emergency response organizations, local health agencies, representatives from private industry, and other important organizations such as the Red Cross. In addition to helping reduce and control potential terrorist threats, this planning organization will be valuable in enhancing plans to deal with natural disasters or other large scale emergencies which can impact the Valley.


EMGC will also be working to establish a regional Community Emergency Response Team, or “CERT.” This team will be comprised of volunteers from all Valley communities and will be designed to support traditional emergency response organizations which may become overwhelmed during a disaster or other major incident. The CERT concept enables local citizens to perform basic first aid, light search and rescue, and incipient stage firefighting (small fires using portable fire extinguishers), effectively freeing traditional emergency responders to perform the more complex EMS, fire and rescue services. CERTs may also be used for such important activities such as traffic control and evacuation. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, operating under the Citizen Corps, also helps train people to be better prepared to respond to any emergency situations in their communities, and not just in disaster situations. CERT members can also help with non-emergency projects that help improve the safety of the community. The CERT course will be taught by professional trainers from EMGC who have completed a FEMA Train-the-Trainer course, along with a team of experienced first responders and trainers from Valley EMS, police and fire departments. Additional information on the CERT program can be found at www.citizencorps.gov. The final phase of this project will involve a series of mock exercises throughout the Valley to test the plan and to identify areas needing further attention. Critique of these exercises will result in further improvement of both the individual municipal and regional Emergency Operations Plans in order to provide the best possible protection for citizens and visitors of the Valley. Any questions or comments on this project can be directed to Allen J. Coppolo, Director, Health and Safety, or Susan Giordano, President, EMGC at tel. (203) 924-9544, fax (203) 924-2194, or email WSPB@aol.com.

Project Report of Paramedic Service in the Lower Naugatuck Valley 2004 This report presents the findings of the group’s examination of the current delivery of pre-hospital paramedic care to the citizens of the Lower Naugatuck Valley. (size: 48KB; This is a PDF file and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.) Note: One member of the EMS Commission wrote a minority report. Please contact jjadach@valleycog.org to have it sent via email.


Citizen Corps www.citizencorps.gov	Information on CERT training, disaster preparedness and emergency procedures
Federal Emergency Management Agency www.fema.gov	Documents, training materials, and other information on every conceivable type of natural disaster as well as preparation and emergency procedures involving terrorist attacks
American Red Cross www.redcross.org	Information on emergency care, disaster preparedness, and opportunities for volunteers.

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