A call for Leyden residents to join the Emergency Management Committee.
The Select Board will be making appointments to various roles on the Leyden Emergency Management Committee during August 2022. Below is a possible committee organizational structure recommended by our Public Safety Committee and that is followed by brief descriptions of the standard roles of committee members as presented in the State's example emergency management plan.
In August 2022, Co-EMDs (Emergency Management Directors) David Pomerantz and Erica Jensen will work with a representative from the Public Safety Advisory Committee (Liz Kidder) and Select Board (Glenn Caffery) to fine tune this committtee structure to work best for Leyden needs and resources.
This subcommittee will also recruit and recommend candidates to the Select Board. Subcommittee meetings are open meetings and will be posted on the town website and the front of the Municipal Office building. The public is welcome to attend.
The Select Board is responsible for approving the organizational structure and appointing members; the terms will be one year.
Some of these roles on the committee are specific to existing departments/employees in Leyden, while others are open to citizens. Some roles involve planning and administration; others are more focused on managing incidents.
So, the positions on the chart below are a work-in-progress at this point, but they should provide an accurate representation of the kinds of roles and skills that will be needed, to not just form a committee, but to be ready in case of a town or region wide emergency. On that day when we all need to help each other during a crisis, let's be organized and ready to respond.
We encourage any residents who might be interested in helping on either the committee or as a worker/responder during a crisis, to express that interest to our Town Coordniator Michele Giarusso (muniasst@townofleyden.com).
State Template Job Descriptions
EOC Manager: The EOC Manager oversees all EOC activities, exercises overall direction and control of EOC operations, and provides policy, guidance, and direction to EOC emergency operations. The EOC Manager coordinates with incident command and response partners at the local, regional, state, and federal levels to identify necessary resources for emergency response. The EOC Manager has primary responsibility for coordinating across each EOC Section and with the Chief Municipal Officer(s), the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and/or State Emergency Operations Center, and EOC Managers from neighboring jurisdictions, as appropriate. The EMD typically serves as the EOC Manager.
Public Information Officer: The Public Information Officer (PIO) is responsible for the provision of public information regarding an incident’s cause, size, and current situation, in addition to the type and volume of resources committed in order to stabilize and mitigate an ongoing emergency. The PIO is also responsible for reporting on other matters of general interest to government agencies, the media, and the public and private sectors in the event of an emergency or disaster, utilizing both traditional and social media platforms.
Police Representative: The Police Representative is responsible for coordinating law enforcement resources to support emergency response operations, and providing situational awareness to the EOC Manager and to the Police Department.
Fire Services Representative: The Fire Services Representative is responsible for coordinating fire services resources to support emergency response operations, and providing situational awareness to the EOC Manager and to the Fire Department.
Public Health Representative: The Public Health Representative is responsible for coordinating public health and medical resources to support emergency response operations, and providing situational awareness to the EOC Manager and the Public Health Department.
Emergency Medical Services Representative: The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Representative is responsible for coordinating EMS resources to support emergency response operations, and providing situational awareness to the EOC Manager and to the EMS organization and/or Fire Department.
Public Works Representative: The Public Works Representative is responsible for coordinating transportation, public works and engineering resources to support emergency response operations, and providing situational awareness to the EOC Manager and to the Public Works Department.
Mass Care and Shelter Operations Representative: The Mass Care and Shelter Operations Coordinator is responsible for coordinating resources to support shelter operations and mass care services, and providing situational awareness to the EOC Manager, partnering non-governmental organizations, and operating shelters.
School District Representative: The School Department Representative is responsible for coordinating resources to support school operations and/or evacuations, sharing information with schools, and providing situational awareness to the EOC Manager.
