Fire Chief Sue Labrie breathed a sigh of relief Wednesday, when the Goshen Fire Department received a delivery of personal protection equipment, or PPE, that was desperately needed for potential COVID-19 emergency responses.
“We only had about eight masks and lacked any eye protection,” Labrie said. “We are happy that this came in before the next two weeks, which is when the virus is expected to peak.”
The Army National Guard’s 1166th Transport Division out of Worcester had been delivering emergency materials in the Berkshires, and Goshen’s Fire Department was the final stop on the route.
The shipment contained 100 surgical masks, 75 medical coveralls, 50 shoe covers, 40 face shields, 40 goggles, 48 bottles of hand sanitizer, and 10 thermometers.
Goshen and Chesterfield’s Emergency Management Director Larry Holmberg said he had been able to secure germicide for both towns from their regular vendors, but items like masks, gloves and coveralls would have taken about six to eight weeks to arrive at this point.
“Because of that delay, I reached out to the state to get what Goshen needed,” Holmberg said, speaking from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency in Agawam.
Holmberg said Chesterfield had not asked him to secure any PPE for that town.
According to Fire Capt. Bob Labrie, the department has responded to only one call involving a possible COVID-19 case thus far. Holmberg later confirmed that the person involved tested negative for the virus.
“This equipment will go a long way to make sure that we are protected when doing our job,” Labrie said. “I hope we don’t have to use it, but if we do, it’s here and we are prepared.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic predicted to soon peak in this area, Cummington Police Chief Mike Perkins says the town is ready and prepared to assist anyone in need of help or support services.
Perkins says the town has been preparing since early March and set up a COVID-19 working group on March 12 consisting of representatives from the police and fire departments, the select board, and the board of health to plan for and address challenges caused by the virus.
The working group is in daily contact via conference calls and remote meetings and is working closely with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Massachusetts Virtual Epidemiologic Network and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
“We requested supplies from MEMA early on and we received them within a week, and we also received hand sanitizer from the Hampshire County Sheriffs Office,” Perkins said. “The biggest challenge is keeping up with the rapidly changing situation.”
Perkins said that the group is diligently processing information every day to keep residents accurately informed.
As Cummington’s high-speed internet service will not be in operation until mid-to-late summer, many residents have limited access to the internet.
The working group has been striving to make sure everyone in town receives up-to-date information in a timely fashion by using telephone robocalls, mailings, and email.
The towns Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) has also been activated and volunteers are conducting wellness checks and assisting with shopping and medical prescription pick-ups, as well as food relief.
If you want to volunteer or receive non-emergency help through Cummington’s CERT, call Sarah or Lee Fournier at 634-5452, or email CummingtonCERTCVHelp@email.com.
You can reach the COVID-19 working group at the Police Department’s business line at 634-0056.
To date, Cummington has had one confirmed case of COVID-19; that person is in quarantine.
The Eversource Power Co. will soon be clearing trees to safeguard power lines in Chesterfield.
According to Town Administrator Sue Labrie, Chesterfield has a high number of electrical outages caused by falling trees, and the tree clearing is to help prevent future power problems.
The plan is to remove, rather than trim, roughly 600 trees in town.
“Some of these trees can cost $2,000 each to remove, so this is saving the town money and addressing the hazardous situation now and for the future,” Labrie said.
Work will begin on Bagg, Bisbee, Bryant, Curtis, East, Munson, North, and Stage roads. All trees to be removed are marked with blue ribbons.
It is not feasible to hold public hearings at this time due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak; however, the tree warden encourages residents concerned about any of the trees marked for removal to contact him at 320-0931 or 296-4068.
Ideas for this column on life in the hilltowns can be sent to Fran Ryan at Fryangazette@gmail.com.