Massachusetts

Welcome to the NEDRIX Massachusetts  web page! This page is dedicated to Massachusetts Emergency Preparedness, Community, and Family Preparedness, resources and news. Come back often for changes and updates.

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA)       
Welcome to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). MEMA is the state agency with primary responsibility for ensuring the state's resilience to disasters. MEMA's staff of professional planners, communications specialists, operations managers and support personnel is committed to an all hazards approach to emergency management. By building and sustaining effective partnerships with federal, state and local government agencies, and with the private sector - - individuals, families, non-profits and businesses - - MEMA ensures the Commonwealth's ability to rapidly recover from large and small disasters by assessing and mitigating hazards, enhancing preparedness, ensuring effective response, and building the capacity to recover.

Emergency management is a shared responsibility: government cannot effectively build resilience to disasters by itself. Individuals, families and communities must work to mitigate risks, prepare themselves and their communities for disasters, build local relationships and partnerships that will help government agencies respond to, and care for those impacted by disasters, and develop the capacity for short-term and long-term recovery from disasters.

To learn more, go to: http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/mema/welcome-message-from-director-schwartz.html

Operations

The Operations Division of MEMA maintains and operates the state Emergency Operations Center (EOC), monitoring emergencies statewide through the Communications Division 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The state EOC serves as the command and control center for the Commonwealth during an emergency.

The Operations Division manages and coordinates emergency response efforts for the Commonwealth. Through MEMA regional offices, it coordinates the response to requests for aid from local authorities upon depletion of their local resources.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Team (MEMT) is prepared and trained by the Operations Division. Membership in MEMT is comprised of the many state, Federal, local, volunteer, public and private agencies and organizations which are represented at the State EOC during activation for an emergency for better coordination of the Commonwealth.

       
Disaster Recovery & Mitigation         
The Disaster Recovery Division of MEMA deals directly with local disaster victims. It guides cities and towns, as well as individuals, through the loss reimbursement process. This includes the distribution of federal and state disaster monies for individuals, cities and towns, state agencies and eligible non-profit organizations to assist in their recovery efforts to restore the areas to pre-disaster condition.

This division administers the Public Assistance (PA) and Individual Assistance (IA) programs, monitors applicants to ensure that they have completed the programs in their entirety, and provides a full accounting of funds received.

In conjunction with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), the Disaster Recovery Division administers and executes all state and federal Flood Mitigation Programs. The division implements mitigation projects by providing local governments with planning assistance, technical assistance and grant funding.

Hazard Mitigation Information
Floodplain Management
Public Assistance

       
Nuclear Preparedness Department        
MEMA's Nuclear Preparedness Department (NPD) is responsible for overseeing planning, training, equipment and exercises to support a radiological emergency response for the Massachusetts population within the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zones (EPZs) around nuclear power stations. This is a peak population of approximately 252,200 persons in the vicinity of Pilgrim Station in Plymouth, Seabrook Station in New Hampshire, and the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station in Vernon, Vermont. The NPD also has safety plans in place for the Yankee Rowe Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation in Rowe, MA

To protect the food supply in the event of a radiological emergency, the Nuclear Preparedness Department works closely with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's Radiation Control Program in planning, training and exercises within the power station's' 50-mile radii, known as the Ingestion Pathway Zones (IPZ). Together, these areas comprise most of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

PLANNING

The Nuclear Preparedness Department has developed and maintains detailed radiological emergency response plans and implementing procedures for communities and facilities within the three EPZs. All plans and procedures are reviewed annually, updated as needed, and tested through regular exercises. The following list summarizes the types of organizations and facilities for which plans have been developed:

• Emergency Planning Zone and host communities
• State, Federal, or private agencies with major response duties
• Transportation staging areas
• Transportation providers
• Reception Centers for the general public
• Mass Care Shelters
• Radiological Emergency Worker Monitoring & Decontamination Stations (RWEMDS)
• Schools, licensed day care facilities, and children's camps
• Nursing homes, hospitals, and group homes
• Correctional facilities

In addition, the Nuclear Preparedness Department coordinates with peripheral communities along pre-designated evacuation routes. Together with local and state police, NPD planners have developed traffic and access control plans to support orderly and timely evacuation should it ever be necessary.

EMERGENCY PUBLIC INFORMATION

Each year, Emergency Public Information calendars are published and distributed to residents and businesses within the Pilgrim, Seabrook, and Vermont Yankee emergency planning zones. The calendars provide information on the emergency plans, including what to do if directed to evacuate or shelter-in-place, They also include, information for parents of children in school or licensed day cares and, information for people with special needs. A copy of each EPI calendar can be found here-

The Nuclear Power Plant Calendars are located under Publications & Reports to the right of this page.

EMERGENCY SERVICES

In the event of an emergency, the following services, if needed, would be provided through the Radiological Emergency Response Plan:

• Environmental monitoring and accident assessment
• Protective action decision making
• Interstate coordination of information and response activities
• Public alerting and information
• Traffic and access control
• Transportation for persons without a ride during an evacuation
• Assistance for persons with special needs
• Precautionary actions for children in schools, licensed day care, and summer camps
• Warning to persons in state forests and wilderness areas
• Radiological monitoring of crops, dairy products, meat and poultry, fish farms, fish and game, and water supplies
• Guidance for gardeners, farmers, and food processors
• Possible evacuation of some locations
• Possible relocation of population from some locations
• Radiological monitoring of evacuees and their vehicles
• Decontamination
• Crisis counseling and assistance with family reunification
• Accommodations and meals for evacuees
• Continuity of government
• Assistance for business restoration
• Public and private assistance through American Nuclear Insurers
• Continuity of essential services such as schools, medical care, banking, employment assistance, utilities, and housing

Radiological emergency response plans and procedures provide step-by-step guidance to effective response and include current resource lists with phone and pager numbers for easy implementation. While they have never been needed for a nuclear emergency in Massachusetts-and we hope they never will be-they have proven effective when used for other real emergencies.

Publications & Reports

• 2012 Seabrook Calendar 
• 2012 Pilgrim Nuclear Calendar 
• 2012 Vermont Yankee Nuclear Calendar 
• October MEMA Reports 
• Cape Cod Emergency Traffic Plan 
• See All Publications & Reports

       
       
Get Informed  
Preparing for Winter Weather

A winter storm in New England can range from a moderate snowfall over a few hours to a chilling Nor'easter, bringing blizzard conditions with blinding wind-driven snow that lasts several days. People can become stranded in their automobiles or trapped at home, without utilities or other services. The aftermath of a winter storm can have an impact on a community or the entire region for days, weeks or even months. Storm effects, in New England, include large snow accumulation, extremely cold temperatures, heavy, wet snow or icing on trees and power lines, roof collapses, coastal flooding and beach erosion.

Winter storms are also deceptive killers because most deaths are indirectly related to the actual storm. The major causes are automobile or other transportation accidents, exhaustion and heart attacks caused by overexertion, 'freezing to death' and asphyxiation from improper heating sources. House fires occur more frequently in the winter due to lack of proper safety precautions when using alternate heating sources, like unattended fires and space heaters.

Areas to be covered will include the proper steps to take to prepare your family and home for the winter season, automobile and driving safety, ice safety, protecting your pets, responding to power outages, extreme temperatures, roof collapse and recovering from a winter storm.

Those who already have an All-Hazard Emergency Supply Kit, as MEMA continues to recommend, are ahead of the curve. However, it is important to check your kit, to ensure it is properly stocked with enough supplies to survive on your own for at least three to five days. Now is also the time to review for Family Communication Plan.

WINTER EMERGENCY SUPPLY KIT

• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Portable radio or NOAA Weather Radio with extra batteries
• Charged cell phone
• First-aid kit
• Essential prescription medicines
• Non-perishable Food
• Manual can opener
• Water (one gallon per person/per day)
• Baby items
• Extra blankets and sleeping bags
• Fire extinguisher

 FAMILY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

Develop a 'Family Emergency Communication Plan' in case family members are separated from one another during a winter storm (a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school), and have a plan for getting back together.
 

• Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the 'family contact'. After a disaster, it is often easier to call long distance than across town. Also, calling outside the area will probably be easier than calling into a disaster area
• Make sure everyone knows the name, address and telephone number of the contact person.
• Sometimes an emergency could impact your neighborhood or small section of town. Decide on an alternate meeting area for family members.
• Be familiar with the Emergency Plans at your children's school and your workplace.
• Be aware of the location your community's potential emergency shelters and possible evacuation routes.

These steps can help reassure everyone's safety and minimize the stress associated with emergencies

Steps To Take Before The Winter Storm

 “Before snow, ice and severe winter weather hit the region, it is important that you take the proper steps to ensure the safety of your family and home,” states Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Director Kurt Schwartz.

Understand the winter terminology used by weather forecasters:

Winter Storm Watch – Be alert, a storm is likely.

Winter Storm Warning – Take action, the storm is in or entering the area.

Blizzard Warning – Snow and strong winds combined will produce blinding snow, near zero visibility, deep drifts, and life-threatening wind chill.  Seek refuge immediately.

Winter Weather Advisory – Winter weather conditions are expected to cause significant inconveniences and may be hazardous, especially to motorists.

• Frost/Freeze Warning – Below freezing temperatures are expected and may cause damage to plants, crops or fruit trees.
• Trim dead tree branches and limbs close to your home.  Ice, snow and wind can combine to snap limbs that can take down power lines or damage your home.
• Clean gutters.  Melting snow and ice can build up if gutters are clogged with debris.  When thawing begins, the water can back up under your roof and eaves causing damage to walls and ceilings
• Check your homeowner’s insurance policy to ensure adequate coverage.
• Have your chimney flue checked for any buildup of creosote and cleaned if necessary to lessen the risk of fire.
• Have sufficient heating fuel, as regular sources may be cut off.  Have the option of emergency heating equipment and fuel (a gas fireplace, wood burning stove or fireplace) so you can safely keep at least one room livable.  Be sure the room is well ventilated.
• Ensure that your Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO) detectors are working correctly and have fresh batteries.  Check your outside fuel exhaust vents, making sure that they are not obstructed by snow or ice. Never use cooking equipment intended for outside use indoors as a heat source or cooking device.
• Make sure your home is properly insulated.  Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows to keep cold air out.
• Install storm windows or cover windows with plastic from the inside to provide insulation.
• To keep pipes from freezing, wrap them in insulation or layers of newspapers, covering the newspapers with plastic to keep out moisture. Let faucets drip a little to avoid freezing.
• Know how to safely shut off gas, electric power and water valves.
• If your water supply could be affected by a power outage (a well-water pump system), be prepared to fill your bathtub and spare containers with water.  Water in the bathtub should be used for sanitation purposes only, not as drinking water.  Pouring a pail of water from the tub directly into the bowl can flush a toilet.
• If pipes freeze, remove insulation, completely open all faucets and pour hot water over the pipes, starting where they are most exposed to the cold.  A hand-held hair dryer, used with caution, also works well.
• If electric power is lost, do not open the refrigerator or freezer door.  Food can stay cold in a full refrigerator for up to 24 hours, and in a well-packed freezer for 48 hours (24 hours if it is half-packed).  If you have medication that requires refrigeration, check with your pharmacist for guidance on proper storage during an extended outage.
• Review the process for manually operating your electric garage door.
• Ensure your Winter Emergency Supply Kit is stocked with supplies to enable you to survive on your own for at least three to five days.  There should be a first-aid kit, essential prescription medicines, non-perishable foods (those that require no refrigeration such as canned goods, dried fruits and nuts), a manual can opener, water (one gallon per person, per day), flashlights and extra batteries along with a portable radio or NOAA Weather Radio, baby-care or pet supplies items, extra blankets, sleeping bags and a fire extinguisher.
• Ensure that your Winter Emergency Car Kit is well stocked to keep you and your vehicle safe.
• Be a Good Neighbor. Check with elderly or relatives and neighbors who might need additional assistance to ensure they have made adequate preparations.

Winter Pet Safety Tips

"As the harsh winter months settles in, it is important that you think about keeping your pets safe from all of the dangers that the season can present," stated Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Director Don Boyce. "MEMA offers some tips to help insure your pet's safety."

• Do not leave your pet outdoors when temperatures drop below freezing. Dogs need outdoor exercise, but take care not to keep them outdoors for lengthy periods of time during very cold weather. Pets that are mostly indoors need time to adapt to cold temperatures by building up a thicker coat and toughening their footpads for ice and snow. Short-coated dogs may feel more comfortable wearing a sweater during walks. Dogs and cats are safer indoors during all sorts of extreme weather.
• Care for your pet's feet. If your pet walks on salted or chemically treated areas, be sure to wash its paws after your walk. Gently rub the bottom of the feet to remove these irritants as soon as your dog is off the road. Many dogs need boots in cold weather, regardless of its coat length. If your dog frequently lifts up his paws, whines or stops during walks, it may be demonstrating that his feet are uncomfortably cold.
• Wind-chill is a threat to pets, even those protected by shelters. Outdoor dogs must be protected by a dry, draft-free doghouse that is large enough to allow the dog to both sit and lie down comfortably, but small enough to retain body heat. The floor should be elevated a few inches off the ground and covered with cedar shavings or straw. The entrance of the doghouse should be turned to face away from prevailing winds, and the entrance should be covered with a flap of heavy waterproof fabric or heavy plastic.
• Pets who spend a greater amount of time outdoors in the winter need more food. Maintaining warmth depletes energy. Routinely check your pet's water dish to ensure the water is fresh and not frozen. To prevent your pet's tongue from freezing to their feeding or drinking bowl, plastic, rather than metal food and water bowls, are preferred.
• Locked cars are a danger is the winter. Never leave a pet locked inside a car during extremely cold weather. Cars can actually act like a refrigerator, holding in cold air, putting your pet at risk.
• Be leery of frozen bodies of water. Always keep your pets on a leash when walking them near suspected frozen bodies of water. The ice may not be sturdy enough to support your pet. If a pet falls through the ice, do not attempt to rescue your pet yourself; call 9-1-1 or go for help.
• Antifreeze and de-icing chemicals can be hazardous. Antifreeze has a sweet taste that can attract animals. Always store antifreeze out of reach and clean up spills. Antifreeze made with propylene glycol can actually be swallowed in small amounts and not injure pets, wildlife or humans.
• Warm automobile engines are dangerous for cats and small wildlife. Parked vehicles can attract small animals, which may crawl under the hood seeking warmth. To avoid injuring hiding animals, bang on your car's hood to scare them off before starting your engine.

For additional information about keeping your pets safe, go to the State of Massachusetts Animal Response Team (SMART) website at www.smart-mass.org.

For additional resources, go to: http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/mema/

       
 2-1-1 MA      
2-1-1 is an easy to remember telephone number that connects callers, at no cost, to information about critical health and human services available in their community

2-1-1 MA is an initiative led by United Ways of MA, an organization that represents the 7 United Ways across the state, in partnership with Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH), and the State of New Hampshire.

Residents in Massachusetts can contact 2-1-1 toll-free by dialing 2-1-1 in state or 1-866-444-4211 from out of state

Resource Management System (RMS)       
       
The Resource Management System (RMS) is operational and ready for use throughout the Commonwealth.  RMS, is a secure web-based system that may be used by all cities and towns, state agencies and other emergency management partners including public works, public health and emergency medical services, to facilitate emergency and non-emergency mutual aid across the Commonwealth. 

The RMS is both an Inventory Management System and a Mutual Aid System:

Inventory Management System.  Cities and towns, agencies and organizations may use RMS as an internal inventory management system.  Once the owner of a resource, whether a municipality, agency or organization, enters its equipment, personnel and specialized teams into RMS, the system may be used to maintain current information on resources, such as whether a resource is in-service, its maintenance status, and its location.  The owner of the resource determines whether users from other municipalities, agencies and organizations may see the internal inventory information.  Existing resource data can be uploaded from spreadsheets into the system, and users can export their resource inventories into printable spreadsheets for their use and records.  

Mutual Aid.  RMS allows municipalities, agencies and organizations that have a specific emergency or non-emergency need for mutual aid support (equipment, personnel, or specialized teams), to search statewide, at a user-defined search radius, for specific resources.  Resource locations are geo-coded and shown on the homepage mini-map.  Once the needed resource is identified, a mutual aid request may be made through the system to the resource owner.  RMS provides the user will the ability to track resource costs associated with deployment, and it has an online reference library for mutual aid agreements, user manuals, etc.  Resource owners determine which of its resources may be “seen” by other users when conducting resource searches; the owner controls whether its resources are available to others and it maintains discretion whether to approve a mutual aid request for its resources.   

MEMA has unveiled a comprehensive training program to support the Resource Management System.  The training program consists of four courses: Basic, System Administrator, Intermediate and Advanced.  Initially, MEMA is focusing on offering the Basic and System Administrator courses.  During the initial training phase, each municipality, agency and organization may designate up to four students, one of whom must be a System Administrator.  Registration for training courses is done through MEMA’s online Training Registrations System (TRS) at www.mass.gov/mema or by contacting one of MEMA’s regional offices or the Training and Exercise Unit at Headquarters.    Certificates are issued upon successful completion of all training courses. 

MEMA urges all cities and towns, agencies and organizations to take full advantage of the Resource Management System by using it as an internal inventory management system and to facilitate emergency and non-emergency mutual aid support.  Initially, MEMA is focusing its training efforts on cities and towns, but will be opening its training courses to stage agencies and non-governmental organizations in the near future.

The success of the Resource Management System - - meaning the degree to which it helps municipalities, agencies and organizations locate needed resources during emergencies, ultimately depends on the commitment of the system’s users to both enter their resources (equipment, people and specialized teams) into the system, and to keep the system updated. 

       
 National Incident Management System (NIMS)    
Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-5, Management of Domestic Incidents, directed the development and administration of the National Incident Management System (NIMS). Originally issued on March 1, 2004, by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), NIMS provides a consistent nationwide template to enable Federal, State, tribal, and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to work together to prevent, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of incidents, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity.

The NIMS is the nation's first-ever standardized approach to incident management and response. The NIMS unifies Federal, State, territorial, tribal and local lines of government into one coordinated effort. This integrated system makes America safer by establishing a uniform set of processes, protocols, and procedures that all emergency responders, at every level of government, will use to conduct response actions. This system ensures that those involved in emergency response operations understand what their roles are and have the tools they need to be effective.

This system encompasses much more than the Incident Command System (ICS), although ICS is a critical component of the NIMS. It also provides a common foundation for training and other preparedness efforts, communicating and sharing information with other responders and with the public, ordering resources to assist with a response effort, and for integrating new technologies and standards to support incident management. For the first time, all of the nation's emergency responders will use a common language, and a common set of procedures when working individually and together to keep America safe. The NIMS ensures that they will have the same preparation, the same goals and expectations, and most importantly, they will be speaking the same language.

To begin complying with NIMS requirements, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has created an advisory working group named the NIMS Advisory Group (NAG) comprised of members of the Massachusetts State Police, Department of Fire Services, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, the Municipal Police Training Committee, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Environmental Management, the Department of Public Works and SETB E-911 to determine a strategy as to how the Commonwealth will implement NIMS into the first responder communities (dictated by HSPD-8) of the state of Massachusetts. The mission of the group is to provide direction to the first responders of the Commonwealth on how to best become compliant with NIMS.

 For additional information, go to: http://www.mass.gov/eopss/funding-and-training/homeland-sec/trng-and-courses/nims/national-incident-management-system-nims.html