HomeMy Public PortalAboutEmergency Prepardness Handbook
Town of Brewster
Emergency
Preparedness
Handbook
Brewster Office of Emergency Management
Important Phone Numbers
Call 911 for Medical, Fire, or Police Emergencies
Brewster Police Dept. 508-896-7011 (non-emergency)
Brewster Fire Dept. 508-896-7018 (non-emergency)
Council-on-Aging 508-896-2737
Town Hall 508-896-3701
Brewster Department of Public Works 508-896-3312
Brewster Water Department 508-896-5454
Eversource Power Outage Report 1-800-286-2000
National Grid (Gas) 1-800-233-5325
First Step: Stay Informed
Some of the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected, such as assembling an emergency supply kit
and making an emergency plan are the same regardless of the type of emergency. However, it’s important to
stay informed about what might happen and know what types of emergencies are likely to affect your region.
Be prepared to adapt this information to your personal circumstances and make every e ffort to follow
instructions received from authorities on the scene. Above all, stay calm, be patient and think before you act.
With these simple preparations, you can be ready for the unexpected.
Typical High Risk Seasonal Storms
Typical Storm Hazards
• Hurricane Dangers/Hazards:
o high winds, heat, flooding, high rainfall/ flash floods, road closures, power outages, downed trees
and wires
• Nor’easter Dangers/Hazards:
o cold, snow, power outages, flooding, road closures, high winds, downed trees and wires
Develop a Plan
• Create a support network of family, friends and others who can assist you and your family members
during an emergency. Share your disaster plans with them. Practice your plan with them.
– Make sure they have an extra key to your home, know where you keep your emergency supplies and
how to use lifesaving equipment or administer medications.
• If you undergo routine treatments administered by a clinic or hospital, find out their emergency plans
and work with them to identify back-up service providers.
• If you have a communication-related disability, note the best way to communicate with you.
• The following link will provide additional resources and a printable version of an emergency plan
https://www.fema.gov
Acquire a Kit of Emergency Supplies
The first step is to consider how an emergency might affect your individual and family needs. Plan to make it
on your own, for at least three days. It’s possible that you will not have access to a medical facility or even a
drugstore. It is crucial that you think about what kinds of resources you use on a daily basis and what you
might do if those resources are limited or not available. Basic Supplies: Think first about the basics for su rvival
– food, water, clean air and any life sustaining items you require. Consider two kits. In one kit put everything
you and your family (including pets) will need to stay where you are and make it on your own for a period of at
least three days or 72 hours. The other kit should be a lightweight, smaller version or “GO” Kit you can take
with you if you have to evacuate your home for sheltering purposes. Recommended basic emergency supplies
include:
• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food and a can opener if kit contains canned food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for
both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Medications and Medical Supplies: If you take medicine or use a medical treatment on a daily basis, be
sure you have what you need on hand to make it on your own for at least a week.
• Emergency Documents: Include copies of important documents in your emergency supply kits such as
family records, wills, power of attorney documents, deeds, social security numbers, credit card and
bank information, and tax records. It is best to keep these documents in a waterproof container.
• Family and emergency contact information
• ID and driver’s license
• Medications and medical equipment
• Personal hygiene items
• Cell phone with chargers
• Spare car and house keys
• Extra cash
• Hearing aids, glasses
Deciding to Stay or Go
Depending on your circumstances and the nature of the emergency, the first important decision is whether you
stay or go. You should understand and plan for both possibilities. Use commonsense and available information
to determine if there is immediate danger. In any emergency, local authorities may or may not immediately be
able to provide information on what is happening and what you should do. However, y ou should monitor
television and radio news reports for information or official instructions as they become available. Do not wait
until the last minute to make a decision on whether or not to evacuate if this order is given. Complacency and
delayed action could result in needless loss of life and damage to property and could endanger the lives of first
responders. The Brewster Office of Emergency Management will utilize local and regional TV, Reverse 911,
and local social media outlets to communicate information to our residents.
Regional Shelter Information
The Town of Brewster is a member of the Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning Committee
(BCREPC). The BCREPC is responsible for providing emergency sheltering services for all residents within
the County. The Town of Brewster will follow this regional plan should evacuation or temporary sheltering of
our residents be needed. There are several pre-designated locations on the Lower, Mid, and Upper Cape
utilized for this purpose. The primary shelter for Brewster Residents is the Cape Cod Regional Techn ical High
School in Harwich. The secondary shelter is located at Nauset Regional High School. Information on the
opening of shelters can be obtained through:
Brewster Police 508-896-7011
Brewster Fire 508-896-7018
Council-on-Aging 508-896-2737
BCREPC Facebook page
Town of Brewster website, Brewster Fire and Police websites and Facebook pages
The Regional Planning committee website: BCREPC.org
Shelter Living
How to Access a Shelter
• If you feel safe to do so, drive yourself
• If you can’t drive or don’t feel safe driving you may:
o Contact local emergency services (Brewster Police, Fire, Council-on-Aging)
• Contact Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority 1-800-352-7155
• Returning to your residence from the shelter can be arranged through shelter staff
What to Bring to a Shelter
• The shelter provides a secure facility, a cot to sleep on, food and water, basic first aid, and functional
assistance. Beyond that, it is up to you to pack and bring the essentials of your life including extra
clothing, cell phone and charger, and medications for a three day (72 hour) period including medical
equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs, and oxygen concentrators. Other items to bring include a
blanket or sleeping bag, pillow, sturdy shoes, and personal toiletries. The shelters are pet friendly but
you should know that pets are housed in crates in a separate area within the shelter. If you take a pet
bring the following items:
• Sturdy leash, harnesses and / or carrier to transport pets safely
• A three day supply of food in airtight, waterproof containers
• Medicines/ records
• Documents: vaccination documents, feeding schedules, name and phone number of vet
• Collapsible bowl for water/food
• Cat litter/ pan – manual can opener if needed for food
• A familiar item such as a toy or bedding.
Special Needs
Anyone with verbal communication difficulties, dementia, deafness or reduced hearing, limited English
proficiency, or other communication challenges needs to be prepared by bringing their respective
communication tools (i.e. hearing aids, communication boards etc.) with you to the shelter.
• If you live at home with the assistance of a caretaker, the caretaker must come to the sh elter with you.
Make sure the caretaker also brings a three-day “GO” Kit of supplies.
• If you are being served by a Visiting Nurse Agency or a Hospice agency, communicate with them prior
to the storm’s onset to make safety arrangements. Keep the agencies phone number with you at all
times.
If You Lose Power
• To report a power outage call the Eversource customer outage line at 800 -286-2000.
• Stay safe indoors if possible.
• If you have a generator, install carbon monoxide alarms in central locations on every level of your home
and outside sleeping areas. This will provide early warning of accumulating carbon monoxide.
• Use flash lights in the dark, not candles
• If it looks like the power outage will continue beyond a day, prepare a cooler with ice for your freezer
items.
• Turn off and unplug all unnecessary electrical equipment, including sensitive electronics
• Turn off or disconnect any appliances (like stoves)
• Leave a light turned on so you’ll know when the power comes back on
• If electrical power lines are down, don’t touch them. Keep your family and pets away. Call 911 to report
hazardous conditions related to downed power lines.
• If you have to drive, watch out for trees and wires in the roadway. Do not drive across a downed power
line. Treat all nonworking traffic lights as stop signs and proceed cautiously at intersections.
• Stay clear of all fallen tree limbs and electrical wires as well as anything they are touching —such as
puddles and metal fences.
Portable Generator Safety
• NEVER run a generator indoors or in partly enclosed areas such as garages.
• ONLY use outdoors and far from windows, doors, vents, crawl spaces and in an area where adequate
ventilation is available and will not accumulate deadly exhaust gas.
• Make sure there is a working carbon monoxide detector within the dwelling.
• Gasoline is extremely flammable and explosive.
• If tank is over-filled, fuel can overflow onto a hot engine and cause fire or explosion.
• Never add fuel while unit is running or hot. Allow generator and engine to cool entirely before adding fuel.
• Do not smoke near fuel or generator.
Town of Brewster Smart 911 Emergency Notification
In an emergency, the quickest and most effective way to deliver information is often via telephone. The
Town of Brewster uses a Smart 911 system to send out calls to residents. All publicly listed landlines
are currently in the database. If you would like to add your cell phone and/or email address you can
create a customized account to receive the information you want.
Sign up by visiting: https://www.smart911.com/smart911/ref/reg.action?pa=brewster
Or access it via the Brewster Police website and click on “Emergency Notification”.
After the Storm
• Listen to local, regional, and State authorities for information and special instructions.
• Do not return home until evacuation orders are lifted.
• Be careful during clean-up. Wear protective clothing and work with someone else.
• Do not touch electrical equipment if it is wet or if you are standing in water. If it is safe to do so, turn off
electricity at the main breaker or fuse box to prevent electric shock.
• Avoid wading in flood water, which can contain dangerous debris. Underground or downed power lines
can also electrically charge the water.
• Avoid downed power lines. Report dangerous conditions by calling 911
• Save phone calls for emergencies. Phone systems are often down or busy after a disaster. Use text
messages or social media to communicate with family and friends.
• Make sure all food items have remained edible.
• Document any property damage with photographs. Contact your insurance company for assistance.
This handbook was prepared by members of the Brewster Local Emergency Planning Committee and includes information obtained
from the Town of Orleans, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency
(MEMA), and the Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning Committee (BCREPC).