Massachusetts | Rene Fielding named Acting Director of Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management
Boston | 21 Feb 2012
Mayor Thomas M. Menino announced today that Rene Fielding has been named Acting Director of the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM). In this capacity, Fielding will have direct oversight of the office’s emergency planning, training, and exercise programs and manage relationships with regional, state, and federal homeland security partners.
Fielding succeeds current Director Donald McGough, who is leaving to be Assistant Vice President for Risk, Strategy, and Business Continuity at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Fielding previously served as Deputy Director of OEM. This transition will be effective Friday, February 24.
“Rene has been a terrific asset to the Emergency Management team for several years and I am thrilled to see her expand her role with us. Her experience working with the City’s first responders and coordinating emergency response plans makes her an outstanding leader for the agency during this period,” Mayor Menino said. “I would also like to thank Don McGough for his dedication to making Boston a safer city. He leaves an outstanding legacy of community engagement around preparedness.”
As Deputy Director of OEM since 2006, Fielding has spearheaded efforts to enhance community preparedness through the City’s ReadyBoston program, improve first responder training with the UrbanShield training exercise, and ensure accountability of federal grant programs. Fielding also represents the City on various working groups, including FEMA’s Comprehensive Preparedness working group. Prior to joining the City, Fielding oversaw homeland security grant programs with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. There, she managed key programs that supported statewide efforts to prepare for, respond to, and recover from major emergencies.
“I am honored to continue to serve Mayor Menino and the citizens of Boston as Acting Director of OEM. I look forward to working with the Mayor and all of our public safety and officials to ensure the safety and security of all our residents,” Fielding said.
For more information about the Office of Emergency Management, visit http://www.cityofboston.gov/OEM/.
Massachusetts | Boston EMS crew delivery baby girl at home
Levant Street, Dorchester | 6 Feb 2012
Two Boston EMS EMTs from Ambulance 12, Lyndon Williams and Matt Bryer, helped deliver a baby girl this morning in a Dorchester home.
At approximately 11:03 a.m., the crew was called to a woman in labor on Levant Street in Dorchester.
The crew arrived and aided the woman through childbirth, with the baby girl being born at approximately 11:17 a.m.
Mom and baby appeared to be doing well and were transported to Mass General Hospital. It was the woman’s second child.
EMT Bryer has been with Boston EMS for four years and this is his second delivery. EMT Williams has been with Boston EMS for 26 years and has helped deliver more than 20 babies.
Massachusetts | Boston EMS reminds residents to celebrate safely
Boston | 4 Feb 2012
Like many of you, all of us at Boston EMS are rooting for the home team this weekend as our New England Patriots take on the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI Sunday night. With a couple days to go, now is a great time to start preparing for hosting parties or heading out to watch the big game. We would like to remind folks of a few simple steps you can take to stay safe this weekend while having fun with friends and loved ones.
Some suggestions:
Travel safety
- Never drink and drive.
- Have the number of a taxi in your phone, take the T or coordinate with a sober driver
- DUI enforcement is a priority for Boston Police
- If driving, always wear your seat belt and have children in appropriate car seats.
- City officials are encouraging the use of public transportation as much as possible.
- If hosting a party, you could be liable if a person drinks and drives.
Food safety
- If hosting a party, provide food and non-alcoholic beverages.
- Never leave small children unattended around food – direct supervision is necessary to reduce the chance of choking.
- Everyone loves nachos, chili and pizza, and there are ways to make them healthy – check out www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/super_bowl_1 for 25 healthy game day snacks.
- Don’t get flagged for food safety, check out BPHC’s tips on safe food handling healthybostonblog.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/keeping-food-safe-around-the-holidays/#more-536.
- Before the game, stock up on local ingredients from the Dorchester Winter Farmer’s Market, 12-3 p.m. in Codman Square this Sunday for Super Bowl specials, dotcommcoop.wordpress.com/.
House safety
- If hosting a party, make sure your house is ready – check your smoke and CO detectors.
- Never use grills indoors.
Massachusetts | Mayor Menino invites residents to ‘Adopt-A-Hydrant’ this winter
Boston | 20 Jan 2012
From shoveling out cars to building snowmen, Boston residents know that the challenges and joys of winter are best handled when people work together. Today, Mayor Thomas M. Menino launched the Adopt-A-Hydrant program, a first-of-its-kind effort, designed to tap into this community spirit. The program provides a website (boston.adoptahydrant.org) where residents can volunteer to shovel out specific hydrants in their neighborhoods.
“Whether you are coaching little league or helping to maintain a park, volunteers provide the foundation for strong neighborhoods in Boston,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “The Adopt-A-Hydrant program is the newest opportunity for our residents to show the great sense of volunteerism that shines in Boston all year, and it’s a great example of how we can use technology to build community and keep neighborhoods safe.”
The Boston Fire Department will continue to lead the effort to shovel out the City’s hydrants. Given, however, that there are more than 13,000 hydrants in the City, volunteers can help ensure that those hydrants are cleared of snow even faster. Last year, the Boston Fire Department responded to 5,653 fires.
“While our firefighters will always be the City’s first and last line of defense, Adopt-A-Hydrant provides an easy way for residents interested in lending a hand to improve neighborhood safety,” said Boston Fire Commissioner Rod Fraser. “As the nation’s first fire department, we are always looking for innovative ways to improve fire prevention and response.”
Adopt-A-Hydrant is the most recent addition in the City’s portfolio of volunteer programs. Other signature volunteer programs include Boston Shines, which supports local groups conducting neighborhood clean-ups; the Boston Medical Reserve Corps, which facilitates medical professionals assisting in public health emergencies; and the Community Emergency Response Team program, which trains residents to help neighborhoods weather other emergencies.
To adopt one of the 13,000 public hydrants, residents go to the website, enter an address, and choose the hydrant(s) they would like to volunteer to shovel out from the selected geographic area. Adopters, who have the opportunity to name their adopted hydrants, will be reminded during winter snowstorms of appropriate snow shoveling protocols.
“Informed and engaged residents are key to the City’s ability to respond to any emergency – big or small,” said Don McGough, the City’s Director of Emergency Management. “Adopt-A-Hydrant offers a new format for engaging residents in the wake of some of our toughest storms.”
The Adopt-A-Hydrant application was developed by Erik Michaels-Ober, a Code for America fellow, who served with the City of Boston in 2011. The City is piloting the application this year. If successful, the City will explore how this application could be used to encourage adoption of other streetscape features, such as catch basins or trees. The app also is available for other places to use and, to-date, three cities – Chicago, Honolulu, and Buenos Aires – already have all expressed an interest in adapting it for use by their residents.
“We were pleased to be one of the first cities to partner with Code for America and excited about the possibility of Adopt-A-Hydrant,” said Bill Oates, Boston’s Chief Information Officer. “The innovative applications that came from this partnership are allowing us to provide new services to Boston residents and share new software and ideas with other cities.”
Massachusetts | Eight BFD members promoted by the Fire Commissioner
(L-r) Chief of Dept. Abraira, Capt. Coan, Lt. Hayes, Capt. Hoar, Lt. Martin, Lt. Donovan, Deputy Chief Shea, District Chief Shaffer, District Chief Cahill, Commissioner Fraser and L-718 President Rich Paris.
Boston | 18 Jan 2012
On January 18, 2012, the Oath of Office was administered by Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser to eight members being promoted in rank.
Promoted to Deputy Fire Chief was Bart Shea from District 4. Promoted to District Fire Chiefs were Steven Shaffer from Engine 28 and Gerard Cahill from Engine 24. Promoted Captains were Francis Coan from Ladder 1 and James Hoar from Ladder 4.
In addition, joining the officer ranks and promoted to Lieutenant were Patrick Hayes, Personnel Division; Glen Martin, Engine 33 and Shawn Donovan, Engine 28.
Presenting their badges to them was Chief of Department Steve Abraira.
A more formal ceremony will take place on Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 10:30 am at Florian Hall.
Congratulations to all!
Massachusetts | Seabrook Station siren demonstration
NH/MA | On Wednesday, November 16th, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the state of New Hampshire, in conjunction with Seabrook Station, will conduct an audible demonstration of all 121 of the Public Alert and Notification System (PANS) sirens that are located within Seabrook Station’s 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ). There are 27 sirens located in Massachusetts, within the communities of Amesbury, Merrimac, Newbury, Newburyport, Salisbury and West Newbury, with 94 in New Hampshire.
This demonstration is a public information endeavor designed to increase public awareness of what the sirens sound like and what to do if they are ever sounded due to a declared emergency. The siren demonstration will begin at 12:30pm, lasting from 3-5 minutes, and will be ending at approximately 12:35pm. No public action will be necessary.
While the PANS sirens can be used to notify the public of any kind of emergency (i.e. weather, homeland security event, etc.), the purpose of this November 16th demonstration is to provide the public within the 23 Seabrook Station EPZ communities an opportunity to again hear the siren tone that would be utilized by Massachusetts and New Hampshire to alert the public of an emergency at Seabrook Station.
The demonstration is intended to complement information published annually in the Emergency Public Information Calendars for Neighbors of Seabrook Station in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The annual emergency public information calendars advise the public that if they hear the PAN siren tone, for three to five minutes, tune to the Emergency Alert System (EAS) radio station for their state (93.7 FM, 92.5 FM, 1030 AM, 98.5FM and 1450 AM in MA; 97.5 FM in NH) for specific information and directions. The demonstration is intended to reinforce that message.