Emergency
Preparedness Information
This page is intended to provide general information, to the
public, addressing emergency actions that maybe necessary.
Last Updated: Tuesday, August 31, 2010
This page is intended to provide general information, to the
public, addressing extreme heat situations, and any preparation and prevention
tips as well as emergency actions that maybe necessary. Additional and
updated information may be found in our
Press Release pages.
City Opens
Cooling Center
Extreme Heat Planning Guide
Extreme Heat Fact Sheets
Heat Related Illness
Prevention Tips
Do's
-
Use air
conditioners or spend time in air-conditioned locations such as malls and
libraries
-
Use portable
electric fans to exhaust hot air from rooms or draw in cooler air
-
Take a cool bath
or shower
-
Minimize direct
exposure to the sun
-
Stay hydrated –
regularly drink water or other nonalcoholic fluids
-
Eat light, cool,
easy-to-digest foods such as fruit or salads
-
Wear loose
fitting, light-colored clothes
-
Check on older,
sick, or frail people who may need help responding to the heat
-
Know the symptoms
of excessive heat exposure and the appropriate responses.
Don'ts
-
Direct the flow
of portable electric fans toward yourself when room temperature is hotter than
90°f
-
Leave children
and pets alone in cars for any amount of time
-
Drink alcohol to
try to stay cool
-
Eat heavy, hot,
or hard-to-digest foods
-
Wear heavy, dark
clothing.
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Hurricane and Tornado Preparedness
FEMA Disaster
Relief
Mayor's
Statement and Special Instructions
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Special Preparedness Message
In accordance with the National Terrorism Alerting Preparedness
Notification System, we are changing our local Preparedness Color to
Yellow
(Elevated Risk). This security
alert indicates that we must remain vigilant of events both on the
International and National levels.
In Middletown, we are continuously reviewing
our preparedness level and emergency operations plan. Click
here
to view the latest emergency operations plan.
We
want to stress that there is no reason for alarm.
If, at any time, there is any information that will impact the safety
of our local community, we will immediately notify residents through the
media.
If
you are suspicious or suspect terrorism, we urge you to call the
Connecticut Homeland Security hotline at (866) 457-8477.
Emergency Preparedness Alert Monitor
Status: |
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Last Updated: Tuesday, August 31, 2010.
CT Alert
The City of
Middletown, Town of
Portland and the
State of Connecticut want you to be safe and informed during emergencies in our
area – including public health threats, dangerous weather, fires and public
safety crises.
Recently, Connecticut became
the first state in the nation to have a statewide emergency notification system.
CT Alert ENS (Emergency Notification System) allows City and Town officials to
help protect lives and property by providing critical information to residents
during emergencies, including dangerous situations.
In the event of an
emergency, Middletown and Portland’s Emergency Service personnel can identify
the affected geographic area of the City or the entire City and record a message
that describes the situation and recommends the protective actions residents and
local businesses should take. The CT Alert ENS will automatically send recorded
messages to all contact devices (listed and unlisted wired, land-line phones,
cell phones, PDAs, etc.) within the identified area. If phone lines are busy,
the system will attempt to redial those numbers a predetermined number of times
to make contact. If an answering machine picks up the call, the emergency
message will be left on the machine.
It’s important to be aware
that CT Alert ENS uses the State’s 9-1-1 database, which means it can only
access your home location and that’s only if you have a traditional “land
line.” So, if you want to receive notifications on a different device – or
especially if you no longer have a “land line” – you
must
register those devices in order to receive alerts. Register at
www.ctalert.gov.
If you want the system to
send alerts to other communication devices that you use you can add mobile
phones, Voice over IP landlines, wireless personal digital assistants, such as
BlackBerry ®, e-mail, text messaging, and/or instant messaging to be included
to receive alerts from CT Alert ENS. You are responsible for any costs
associated with your receipt of any emergency notification.
You can also choose the order
in which you receive the emergency notification by specifying your contact path
order for multiple communication devices. The system will cycle through your
communication devices until the message is delivered and or confirmed on one of
them. If you don't confirm receipt of the message, the system may try to reach
your second contact number or email address if the message is critical and
requires your confirmation.
To add additional devices log
in to the State web page at
www.ctalert.gov. That link is also available on the City of Middletown
website at
www.cityofmiddletown.com and Town of Portland website at
www.portlandct.org. Without adding a device using this process only your
home phone will receive alerts. If you are already registered on the CT Alert
ENS, you can update your information by returning to the
www.ctalert.gov website.
CT Alert ENS will not
work with phone lines having call screening features. For example, if your phone
line requires an individual to identify themselves through a recorded message
before the call is accepted, the CT Alert ENS will not work. The system is
designed to play the recorded message upon voice activation, such as a person
saying "hello" or an answering machine recording
To stop receiving alerts simply delete your profile from the website.
Deleting your profile
will stop emergency notifications to the devices you registered in the system.
CT ALERT ENS, you will no longer receive emergency notifications on those
devices, but you still receive alerts on your traditional home telephone.
At the present time the State of
Connecticut has not
authorized the deletion of land-line phones. Both the City of Middletown and
Town of Portland have no control over this process.
CT Alert ENS will be used by
local Emergency Management, Fire, Police and Public Health Departments, as well
as the State’s Homeland Security, Public Health and other agencies called upon
during an emergency.
Some of the many uses of the
system include: Emergency evacuations, Missing person alerts, Natural disaster
alerts, Hazardous material situations, severe weather alerts,
Police situations,
Neighborhood emergency incidents, and Homeland Security issues.
More detailed
information including the CT ALERT Emergency Notification System Policy adopted
by the State of Connecticut can be found at
www.cityofmiddletown.com and selecting the emergency preparedness link.
Here is some important
system tips and information when there is a notification message sent:
-
Do not call 911 asking for
general information about the message.
Only call the indicated number on the message when necessary. Don’t call to
simply to ask what happened.
-
Listen carefully to the
entire message and confirm receipt of call when possible.
-
No routine updates are
given. Only emergency messages/updates are sent out. Event conclusions are not
sent out by this system. Please do not call for general updates.
-
“CT ALERT ENS” will appear
on your phones caller id. This is the programmed identifier set up by the
State of Connecticut.
Remember, we
can’t alert you if we can’t reach you. Sign up at
www.ctalert.gov.
Any
questions for both Middletown and Portland residents can be directed to
911@cityofmiddletown.com or by calling the Central Communications Center
during routine business hours Monday – Friday at 860-343-8005.
Click Here to view CT
Alert Emergency Notification System Policy
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Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQ)
Family Natural Disaster Preparedness
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Red Cross Tips on Power
Power Outage
Use of Generators
United
States Homeland Security Web Site
Local
Homeland
Security
Office
of Emergency Management
Department
of Public Safety
Federal
Homeland
security
Personal
preplanning information
The Official
Web Portal of the US Federal Government
Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention
Other
Citizen
Corps
Emergency
Preparedness Plans for Schools
Department
of Health and Human Services
Environmental
Protection Agency
Federal
Citizen Information Center
Federal
Emergency Management Agency
USA
Freedom Corps
Chemical
Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program
Not for Profit
American
Medical Association
American
Red Cross Terrorism - Preparing for the Unexpected
Home
Safety Council
National Safety
Council
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During the peak mosquito months (May, June, July, August
and September) the City of Middletown urges its residents and visitors to use
caution when planning and participating in outdoor activities.
The City’s Health Department has compiled the following list of
Precautionary Measures to help ensure that your seasonal activities are safe and
fun.
Mosquito Bite Precautions
- Minimize
time outdoors at dusk and dawn
- Be
sure door and window screens are secure and in good repair
- Wear
shoes, socks, long pants and long-sleeve shirts
- Use
mosquito netting if sleeping outdoors
- Use
mosquito repellent containing less than 10% DEET (follow label instructions
and wash after usage)
- Eliminate
standing water around home
- Dispose
of water-holding containers (e.g., used tires, ceramic pots, etc.)
- Turn
over objects that may collect water (e.g., wading pools, wheelbarrows, etc)
- Clean
clogged roof gutters
- Change
water in bird baths regularly
- Clean
and chlorinate swimming pools: cover when not in use
Dead Birds
- Do
not handle dead birds.
- Contact
the Middletown Health Department at (860) 344-3480, Monday through Friday
from 8:30 AM to 4:40 PM.
- Middletown
Police Department at (860) 344-3200 for all other times.
Additional Information
- Contact
Middletown Health Department at (860) 344-3482
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