Dayhoff Westminster Soundtrack: 20070416 Carroll County EOC opens Monday evening

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

20070416 Carroll County EOC opens Monday evening

Carroll County Emergency Operations Center in action Monday evening, April 16^th, 2007 (See Carroll County Public Information Administrator, Vivian Laxton’s press release pasted at the bottom of this post…

Posted April 17th, 2007

Carroll County emergency response

The Carroll County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) opened for a couple of hours last Monday evening, April 16^th, 2007 to swing-in and help the residents at the adaptively re-used former Hampstead High School.

Even though – by the time the operations center began to evacuate the senior residents, who had been without power since the wee hours of the moring, BGE got the power back on. So, as it worked out, the shelter was not needed but in the long run, it was a good drill and once again the EOC essentially operated flawlessly. (See pasted at the bottom of his post – links to one of the last times the EOC was activated and once again, performed flawlessly… The December 15^th, 2007 train derailment in South Carroll.)

All of which should be comforting to Carroll County residents to know that once again, if emergency services had been needed – it runs well, by folks who really know what they are doing and are dedicated to protecting the public.

Some of the team members who gave up their evening to serve the public are in the photograph above. They are:

Mike Whitson, Carroll County Facilities Bureau Chief, is in the foreground.

Counter clockwise from Mr. Whitson is Ralph Green, the Carroll County Director of General Services.

Carroll County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Mark Gonder.

Ken Smallwood with the Red Cross.

Chrissy Calp, with the Carroll County Emergency Management – behind the computer terminal in the back.

Cyndi Ryan with the Red Cross.

Carroll County Volunteer Emergency Services Association Liaison Leon Fleming - in the green shirt.

Also staffing the Carroll County Emergency Operations Center but not pictured was Bill Hall, Carroll County Emergency Management Coordinator; who had left earlier to go to the old Hampstead High School - “Hampstead Village.”

Jolene Sullivan, the Carroll County Director of Citizen Services who had left earlier to go open the North Carroll Senior Center.

Neal Roop, President, and CEO of Carroll Area Transit System, who was coordinating transportation for the seniors from Hampstead to the North Carroll Senior Center Shelter.

Vivian Laxton, the Carroll County Public Information Administrator.

Caroline Babylon with the Red Cross. And me – I took the picture.

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20070416 Carroll County EOC opens Monday evening

News Release

For more information, contact: Vivian D. Laxton,
Public Information Administrator, 410-386-2973

For Immediate Release

Emergency Operations Center activates to assist seniors who lose electricity

April 16, 2007, 11:45 p.m. – Carroll County emergency managers activated the Emergency Operations Center this evening to assist residents of an 84-unit senior housing center in Hampstead in anticipation of a night without heat or electricity.

Residents of the Villages of Hampstead, known as the old Hampstead School, first reported being without power to BG&E at 4 a.m. Power was restored by 11:15 p.m., before anyone had to be relocated to a shelter.

Hampstead Mayor Haven Shoemaker requested the assistance of county officials as night approached. The facility is heated by electric heat pumps.

Agencies responded by arranging for cots to be set up in the North Carroll Senior and Community Center for as many as 70 of the approximately 100 residents.

The Departments of General Services and Citizen Services worked with the American Red Cross to establish the shelter. Carroll Area Transit Service provided two vehicles to transport residents. The Health Department agreed to send nurses to the shelter. Officers from the Hampstead Police Department and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office assisted. Once power was restored, the Emergency Operations Center shut down.