The Town of Vernon has been awarded a $25,000 competitive grant from the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection, Division of Emergency Management & Homeland Security to update and modernize the town’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
The EOC is where town and emergency management officials gather during major incidents to receive information, coordinate the town’s response and communicate with state and federal agencies.
“When there is a serious storm or other significant event, the Emergency Operations Center is the nerve center of the town’s response,” Mayor Dan Champagne. “This grant will enable us to update our equipment and ensure we can continue responding to these incidents effectively and efficiently.”
The grant will fund the purchase of new computer equipment, including laptops, monitors, desk phones, and tables and chairs, as well as equipment to enhance weather monitoring.
“The upgrades to our EOC will ensure we continue to be prepared and will enhance our ability to respond to incidents,” Town Administrator and Emergency and Risk Management Director Michael Purcaro said. “It is essential for any emergency operations center to have a collaborative environment where everyone is focused on mitigating the emergency, and that’s something at which our team excels.”
Vernon’s EOC is where a variety of innovative solutions were developed – from partnering with the National Guard to help clear roofs of heavy snow during the winter of 2011, to creating what would become Vernon’s nationally recognized vaccination program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Purcaro said. Some of the solutions Vernon leaders developed were adopted by other communities.
“Managing an emergency is a shared responsibility among local, state and federal agencies as well as the private sector,” said Brenda Bergeron, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection. “It is essential that we have infrastructure in place to ensure a coordinated response to an incident.”
Partnerships established long before there is a need to respond to an emergency are essential, said Josh Cingranelli, the state Emergency Management Area Coordinator for the region that includes Vernon.
“We spend a lot of time building relationships and connections with local leaders, emergency managers and first responders,” Cingranelli said. “A big part of that is helping our local partners ensure they have the tools they’ll need to respond to an incident.”
Vernon Fire Chief Stephen Eppler, Fire Marshal/Fire Administrator Dan Wasilewski and Police Chief Marc Petruzzi serve in central roles in responding to any incident in Vernon.
“A key to responding to an emergency and the reason for our success in Vernon is that we have a highly skilled team that trains constantly,” Eppler said. “We are always ready.”
“We’re thankful for the opportunity to upgrade this critical equipment at no cost to Vernon taxpayers,” Wasilewski said. “We are always searching for grant opportunities to enhance our emergency capabilities.”
“Anything we can do to enhance partnerships and coordination is good for our community and the people we serve,” Petruzzi said. “It will also help us better coordinate our response to any emergency, natural or manmade.”