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Wayland Police Department
Wayland Fire Department
Joint Press Release
May 7, 2008
Police Chief Robert Irving and Fire Chief Robert Loomer have announced that the generator at Wayland’s primary emergency shelter is now operational. The generator, at a cost of $225,000, was funded through a fiscal year 2007 earmark approved by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development. Former State Representative Susan W. Pope, with the assistance of State Senator Scott P. Brown, proposed the legislation to secure the funding for this critical piece of equipment. Wayland was the only town in Massachusetts to be awarded funding for an emergency generator of the fifteen that applied.
The Wayland Middle School has been the town’s primary emergency shelter for many years. Until the 2001 renovation of the Middle School, there had been an emergency generator in place that would have been used in the event that the emergency shelter was activated. During the renovation, the generator was found to have outlived its usefulness and was scrapped. The new emergency generator provides a seamless transition of electrical power to the Wayland Middle School, in the event of a long-term loss of power, due to a manmade or natural disaster. The Middle School, when operating as an emergency shelter, serves as the primary source of shelter for Wayland citizens. With this alternative source of power, the emergency shelter can be used during a prolonged power outage and qualifies for certification by the American Red Cross.
The installation of this generator will allow the Local Emergency Planning Committee to expand the capacity of the shelter and upgrade the town’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. If an evacuation were necessary in Wayland, or a surrounding community, the emergency shelter will now be able to provide heat, hot water, and hot food for those in need. Recently, Wayland’s Citizen Emergency Response Team conducted a mock drill at the Middle School, to test our ability to handle evacuations of citizens to the emergency shelter.
Lessons from past disasters have taught us the importance of preparing for an emergency. The addition of this emergency generator greatly improves Wayland’s emergency preparedness. It also allows us to act as a host community, if needed, to house evacuees from neighboring cities and towns.
All town residents should prepare their own family emergency plan and be aware of the town’s emergency notification system and the location of our shelter. More information is provided by the Local Emergency Planning Committee by clicking the “Emergency Planning” link on the town’s website.
Chief Irving and Chief Loomer,
as Emergency Manager and Emergency Coordinator for the town,
are appreciative of the efforts of former State
Representative Pope and State Senator Brown for their
efforts in making the town of Wayland more prepared should
disaster strike.
