WENDELL — The Selectboard invited Fire Chief Matt O’Donnell and Emergency Management Director Lonny Ricketts to its most recent meeting to detail how Wendell officials would respond to a long-term power outage or similar emergencies.
Selectboard Chair Laurie DiDonato mentioned the discussion topic arose after a resident brought up the concern a while ago.
“I realized that I didn’t know, and that maybe it’s something the Selectboard should know,” she said of the town’s emergency response.
O’Donnell, who replaced Joe Cuneo as fire chief on July 1, said his department’s focus during an emergency tends to be responding to the specific incident — such as a storm or downed wires — that created the power outage. He added that department members help residents as much as they can to set up generators and mitigate other issues.
Ricketts explained he has in the past made lodging accommodations for residents and their pets during storms, though many residents tend to be willing to shelter in place and not leave their residences.
O’Donnell noted the town lacks the resources to take in residents in makeshift emergency shelters. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency can deliver cots in the event of an emergency.
“Swift River School comes to mind as someplace that might be an ideal emergency shelter situation that [Wendell and New Salem] could use,” O’Donnell said.
O’Donnell, who is also the New Salem fire chief, said that town’s Fire Station has a designated space that can serve as an emergency shelter. However, he said he is hesitant to bring many people to the Wendell station because of the equipment and vehicles stored there. He said “Wendell’s typically at the tail end of the list of getting power restored” due to its low population and, as a result, lower priority.
O’Donnell suggested that he and Ricketts could compile a list of resources — such as LifePath and TRIAD — that can be provided in an emergency.
“As far as a plan goes, every situation’s different,” Ricketts mentioned.