Teamwork Helped Delaware Cope with Storm
Pike County Dispatch, Thursday November 8, 2012 (p. 3)
By Ken Baumel
DINGMANS FERRY – Delaware Township supervisor chairman Tom Ryan thanked fellow Supervisors Ted Parsell (Roadmaster) and Bob Luciano for their action following Sandy’s arrival.
Parsell said that he handled clearing road blockages (if live wires were not involved), putting up and taking down road-closed signs, and supervising FEMA/PEMA supply deliveries.
Ryan said that while he stayed at the command center, Luciano went on site whenever or wherever a crisis arose. Ryan also thanked officials of some of the larger community developments, such as Wild Acres, for their handling of the crisis.
Township officials held a meeting with community development representatives at the center early in the crisis to coordinate emergency needs. The center also invited representatives to the meeting last Friday.
At that meeting, Ryan updated them on MetEd’s schedule to restore power to the estimated 6,000 residents in the two townships that remained without power as of last Friday.
Supervisors Paul Menditto, representing Lehman, and Pike Sheriff Phil Bueki also attended that meeting.
At that meeting, Ryan said that although some of the community developments in Delaware were well organized during the crisis, some of the smaller ones were not. He said that it was impossible to find a contact person responsible to make decisions at one development.
Ryan said that one of the first priorities in the post-Sandy assessment process would be to evaluate what worked and what did no work regarding the township EMA plan and regarding the expansion of the township mission into a regional one.
The assessment should address needs of the small community developments that do not have an office, emergency infrastructure, or formal contact person.
Ryan also thanked Township Office Manager Barbara Foos and her assistant Krista Predmore for coordinating 60 volunteers who helped staff the center.
Lloyd said that during the crisis PA Dept. of Agriculture inspected the kitchen. She announced that the inspector gave the kitchen a clean bill of health regarding safe food handling.
Ryan also said that when he lifted the township state of emergency last Friday, the center has 10,000 food packs left over. However, even though Delaware emergency center closed, when Lehman Township EMA requested food last Sunday, Ryan coordinated getting some of the remaining food packs to Buskill Fire Dept. firehouse on Evergreen Drive in Lehman Township. The food helped feed Bushkill and East Stroudsburg residents housed at the firehouse, a regionally designated shelter.
Ryan said that the Delaware center got not reports of loss of life in the coverage area. Some residents did require medical help. He thanked Mary Lou Corbett of Delaware Township Ambulance Corps for responding to medical issues that arose during the emergency. Corbett was at the township building for part of the emergency.
Ryan reported that Corbett helped a man who had no phone service or power and who needed oxygen and a Z-pack (mask). She also found resources to help a Delaware woman who had no money and food and who required medical attention.
Ryan said that the Delaware crew sent residents needing temporary shelter to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, which housed up to 15 residents at a time, or to Upper Dingman Township Fire House. The firehouse deployed a flashing sign in a prominent spot in their parking lot on Log Tavern Road announcing their services available, such as food, water, ice, shower and shelter.
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