Emergency Management in Action
Alton Puts their Emergency Response Plan to the Test
On March 13, 1996, the town of Alton learned something most municipalities hope is true but no one wants to learn the “hard way”: their Emergency Management Plan worked. A dam broke in town releasing 92 million gallons of water. The water ran through a residential area and into a marsh, taking with it part of a state road along with two town roads. The water also claimed the life of one women. Emergency Management plans are really an unknown entity until the time comes when they are tested but there are steps you can take to ensure the plan works well. Alton’s advance planning ensured that their plan worked well and Fire Chief Russell Jones, the towns Emergency Manager, should be proud the plan worked when called into action.
Gregg Champlin, from the New Hampshire Office of Emergency Management, suggests steps to ensure your plan works well. When writing your plan include everyone who may be called upon: the Fire Chief, Public Works Department, volunteer agencies (like the Red Cross), and school officials. Once the plan is in place, exercise it over and over again. Most of all, keep it simple; don’t let it get too complicated.
Ken Roberts, the Alton Road Agent, said their “emergency management policy was followed to the tee. Everyone was quite professional. A lot of emergency management is common sense.” His advice for other Road Agents is “take a serious look at your emergency plan and make sure you know it as well as the people under you. You may want to have a class on following the plan and the chain of command.”
The first steps in the Alton emergency management plan were to make phone calls to agencies like: FEMA, Pollution Control and Environmental services. Then to access the damages and take measures to alleviate them. The missing person had to be located right away and town water had to be restored.
After the emergency part of the emergency management plan was completed, the body found and the utilities restored, the road crew backed up the state to get Route 140 passable until they could get to their own roads. The state brought in 30 trucks from area units over 2 1/2 days and hauled 5,000 yards of gravel and hauled out 10-15,000 yards of debris. The town hauled in another 1,000 yards of gravel for its roads. Ken said “it was a cooperative effort between the state and the town.” Neighboring towns of Barnstead, Gilford, and Gilmanton offered their assistance and many other towns called with offers of help. As it turned out, the town roads weren’t too badly damaged. Riverside Drive was open the same day as RTE 140 and Eliot Road was opened the following day.