Transcribed by AI from the city's PDF. Check the original before relying on it.
Minutes
Room 108: Malden City Hall, 215 Pleasant St. Malden, MA,
Wednesday, June 25th at 4PM
Meeting Began at 4PM
Approval Of Previous Meeting Minutes:
- JP Kelley led the approval of the April and May meeting minutes, with no objections raised by participants including Louis, and confirmed that the minutes will remain available online.
- Minutes Review and Approval: JP Kelley asked if there were any issues with the minutes from the previous month, and after confirming there were none, made a motion to approve them, which was seconded by Eric Rubin. The April and May minutes will remain online for reference.
Emergency Activations and Incident Response:
- John reported that the only notable incident in the previous month was a fire resulting in temporary hotel accommodation due to a power outage, with no formal emergency activations required
- Incident Handling: JP described a recent fire where an individual was placed in a hotel after losing electricity, clarifying that this did not constitute an official emergency activation.
CERT Team:
- Search Team Status Update: Louis informed the group that there were no updates on the CERT Team
- EMPG Submission and Approval Process: Elaina discussed the submission of EMPG documents, noting that signatures were sent by mail and confirmation of receipt and approval is pending, with Steve and other board members expected to be involved once finalized.
- Document Submission: Elaina explained that all EMPG documents were submitted and the required signature was sent by mail, but confirmation of receipt has not yet been received.
- Approval Status: Elaina clarified that approval is pending until the CAS signature is confirmed, after which the process can proceed.
- Board Involvement: Elaina mentioned to Steve that safety boards are expected to approve the documents once the signature process is complete.
- DPW Director Appointment and Communication: JP discussed reaching out to Paul regarding the DPW director position, clarifying that Paul is expected to be a full-time director and emphasizing the importance of keeping him informed about meeting schedules and committee involvement.
- Director Status: Elaina confirmed that Paul is expected to serve as a full-time DPW director and discussed the need to keep him updated on meetings and committee activities.
- School Facility Safety and Evacuation Plans: Eric Rubin and Steve Froio reviewed fire security and evacuation plans for school facilities, confirming that all schools have updated plans and emphasizing the importance of timely acknowledgment and response to alerts.
- Facility Review: Eric Rubin discussed ongoing reviews of all school buildings from a fire security perspective, considering the addition of evacuation plans.
- Evacuation Plan Status: Steve confirmed that all schools currently have evacuation plans, and that alerts must be acknowledged by staff rather than ignored.
- Drill Preparation: Steve noted that numerous drills have been conducted to ensure preparedness, with instructions to update and double-check information as needed.
- Communication and Coordination with MEMA and Regional Committees: JP described ongoing communication with Justin from MEMA and participation in regional planning with Mystic, highlighting the value of resource sharing and regular updates for special events and crowd management.
- MEMA Coordination: JP reported discussions with Justin from MEMA about special command posts for events in Boston, noting that no issues or crowd-related activations were required locally.
- Resource Sharing: JP Kelley emphasized the benefits of being part of the regional planning committee with Mystic, including frequent exchanges of information and mutual support for emergency management activities.
- Event Planning: JP Kelley described the planning and preparation for special events, including federal funding utilization and ongoing communication about launch sites and personnel lists.
- City Council Cuts to Emergency Management Personnel: JP Kelley announced that the city council voted to cut emergency management personnel, affecting police, fire, and school staff, and described discussions with the mayor's office to maintain police and fire representation in director roles.
- Personnel Cuts: JP Kelley explained that the city council voted to reduce emergency management personnel, specifically impacting unified police, fire, and school positions.
- Director Role Planning: JP Kelley and Chief Froio discussed with the mayor's office a plan to ensure police and fire departments remain involved in director positions, regardless of future changes.
- School Personnel Impact: JP Kelley clarified that school personnel and CERT team contact were cut from emergency management roles, and confirmed with Louis that this information was accurate.
- Future Coordination: JP emphasized the importance of ongoing communication and coordination among remaining personnel to maintain effective emergency management.
- Water Utility Flushing and Cooling Center Preparations: JP Kelley and Chief Steve Froio discussed ongoing water utility flushing, handling complaints, and preparations for cooling centers, including water donations from Stop and Shop and distribution plans for community and senior centers.
- Water Flushing Operations: Chief Froio described the process of water utility flushing, noting frequent complaints and coordination with the water department to manage manpower and scheduling.
- Cooling Center Readiness: JP Kelley reported that no requests for cooling centers had been received despite high temperatures, but preparations are in place to reach out to Stock Shop for water donations.
- Water Distribution: JP Kelley outlined the process for storing donated water at the police department and distributing it during events or to community and senior centers as needed.
- Facility Access: JP Kelley explained that community rooms and senior centers serve as polling and cooling centers, with water supplies maintained for accessibility during hot weather.
Follow-up tasks:
- EMPG Grant Confirmation: Obtain confirmation of receipt and approval status for the EMPG grant submission
- DPW Director Communication: Contact Paul to inform him about meeting schedules and clarify his role regarding the building committee and director position.
- Cooling Center Water Supply: Reach out to Stop Shop to arrange replenishment of donated water for cooling centers and ensure cases are distributed to PD, community room, and senior center as needed.
- School Evacuation Plan Review: Verify that all schools have updated evacuation plans and ensure acknowledgment procedures are in place for any changes or drills.