Epsom gets tornado aid

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:27:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Epsom could get about $20,000 in federal aid for damages the town suffered during the July 24 tornado after President George Bush reconsidered his decision not to include the New Hampshire counties of Merrimack and Strafford in his FEMA relief package for the incident.

Gov. John Lynch pushed the president through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to include the two counties in the relief.

“I am pleased the president has included Merrimack and Strafford counties in the disaster declaration based on the concentration of damage in the communities of Epsom, Pittsfield and New Durham.,” Lynch said in a press statement. “These communities experienced a tremendous amount of damage during the tornado and this assistance will help these towns rebuild their infrastructure.”

The reimbursement falls under public assistance, which can be used for paying for emergency response, repairs and debris removal.

“We’re just thrilled,” said Epsom Selectman Joanne Randall. “It was a little discouraging when we found out originally we weren’t going to get any funds, but we really didn’t expect to qualify for the funding because we knew what the process was, as we knew it was going to be done by county,” Randall said.

Randall said Epsom suffered about $25,000 worth of damage to their roads and public property, all of which falls under the public assistance qualifications.

The way FEMA assistance works, towns could be eligible for up to 80 percent of their costs that qualify. If they get the full 80 percent, it works out to about $20,000, a chunk which would otherwise have to come out of Epsom’s road maintenance budget.

“We were going to eat that cost. Generally speaking, when something like this happens, you just have to rob from Peter to pay Paul,” Randall said.

The selectmen got calls from senators Judd Gregg and John Sununu on Thursday, Aug. 21, when the decision to include Merrimack County in the disaster aid was announced.

“Strafford and Merrimack counties sustained significant damage in the severe storms which hit the Granite State in late July. These counties, especially in the towns of Epsom, Pittsfield and New Durham, were directly in the path of the tornado and sustained considerable damage. They certainly deserve this critical federal funding for necessary infrastructure repairs,” said Gregg in a press statement.

Epsom selectmen and department heads have also met to discuss the emergency response to the tornado and ways to improve it.

Two emergency debriefing meetings were held in nonpublic session on July 29 and Aug. 6 with the mindset of protecting personal and medical information, selectmen said. The minutes were released recently with names and sensitive information blacked out.

Most of the issues that arose during the emergency response had to do with communication, most of those resulting from confusion as to what had actually occurred and the need to cover multiple areas.

Numerous agencies were involved, including state police, the Merrimack County Sheriff’s Department, New Hampshire Fish and Game, and police and emergency responders from surrounding towns.

There was also difficulty with equipment failure, including Epsom Police Chief Wayne Preve’s cell phone failing after it got wet.

Emergency Management Director Rick Bilodeau suggested the possibility of equipping a vehicle with things needed to set up a mobile command post, including radios and a computer. The vehicle, preferably and SUV, could be sought through grants or the town may consider asking a local dealership to donate one.

Bilodeau also said the town’s police and fire departments should run on the same radio frequency instead of separate ones.

A date for emergency response training for police, fire, and certain town officials has been scheduled tentatively for Oct. 18.

The selectmen, a handful each of firefighters and police officers, and several other department heads will be certified in FEMA’s National Incident Management System, which provides standard guidelines for emergency response when mutual aid from neighboring towns or the state is involved. Randall said the department heads also clarified their roles during the meeting and made decisions on where selectmen would go maximize efficiency in a future situation.

“People were so caught off guard and were trying to help,” Randall said. “People want to go where they’re most needed, and until the understand the full scope of the emergency, they may end up being somewhere they are not necessarily needed” as much as another place in town, Randall said.

Despite the confusion, Randall said the Epsom police and fire departments did an outstanding job of adjusting to new information and acting efficiently.

“I was so thrilled with the efforts of our emergency personnel. They’re shorthanded, they’re overworked and they’re underpaid, and yet still were able to handle such a tragic event.”

Epsom News : FEMA

Epsom gets tornado aid