LOCAL EMERGENCY PLANNING COMMITTEE
November 12, 2013
McCulloch Building
MINUTES
PRESENT:
John Mulveyhill, Chairman
Charlotte Jenkins
Matt Brennan
Mary Heinrichs
Jonathan Tose
Joan Cooper-Zach
Chris Grazioso
Daniel McCormack
Bob Vanasse
Paul Milone
John Barkin
James Mannion
David Phillips
Mike Gallagher
Rich Latour
RECORDING SECRETARY:
Christine Callbeck
Chairman Mulveyhill called the Local Emergency Planning Committee meeting to order at
9:00am.
VIDEO ANNUAL DRILL
Ms. Heinrichs showed a draft of the video footage taken at the Annual Drill.
MINUTES
Mr. Gallagher made a MOTION to TABLE the minutes until the next meeting. The MOTION
was SECONDED by Mr. Vanasse. It was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED.
OLD BUSINESS
REVIEW OF ANNUAL DRILL
Ms. Heinrichs stated she has the video just needs to do the voice over's, produce and distribute
by January 1, 2014.
Chairman Mulveyhill stated the Annual Drill went well. The people from Technip were very
happy with the results from the drill. Some firefighters brought up some very good comments.
Mr. Phillips stated he thought the drill was great.
1
Mr. Grazioso stated if it went like that in real time he would be very happy.
Ms. Cooper-Zach stated it went well on her end.
Mr. Brennan stated it was good awareness of the facility and if the situation every really
occurred.
Ms. Heinrichs stated one of the firefighters asked some great questions like what was the
chemical and what did Technip use to wash it off with?
Mr. Brennan stated he has received word from Mr. Peters from Technip that they are currently
considering changing their company policy on "lock down procedures" due to findings from the
drill.
REVIEW OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS INCIDENTS
FORE RIVER
Mr. Brennan stated on September 22m 2013 at 10am there was a report of a wax substance
floating in the river. Deputy Tose responded to the call and called the Coast Guard. The
substance turned out to be animal fat that spilled from the boat the Adelaide; additionally there
was an oil leak same day, same place. DEP was notified, Harbor Master, and Clean Harbors.
Clean Harbors cleaned up the spill. Clean Harbors had a crew both in the water and land side.
Mr. Brennan stated he has contacted the Conservation Commission and DEP as discussed the
incident with conservation as well.
Mr. Brennan stated he had some issues notifying Quincy's Health Department and getting them
to respond and work with Weymouth.
Mr. Mannion stated it is very disappointing that Quincy wasn’t easier to get in touch with.
Deputy Tose stated he should have contacted Quincy and Braintree's Fire Departments and tried
to get to their health Departments that way but he was so busy with the situation at hand that he
just did not think of it.
Mr. Milone stated there was a fantastic coordinated effort by all involved to help with the
incident.
Chairman Mulveyhill asked if Mr. Milone has a listing of all the agencies that were involved.
Mr. Milone stated yes.
Mr. Brennan stated he will e-mail the list to Chairman Mulveyhill.
2
Mr. Milone stated Clean Harbors were on scene for 3 1/2 weeks.
17 GRAHAM STREET
Mr. Brennan stated this is a single family home; after inspection it was found that the man there
has been operating a beauty product business for over 60 years out of this home. There was a
stock pile of products inside the home. The man will be out of business by January 1, 2014 and
the residence will be cleaned of all chemicals by PCS in two weeks.
COLUMBIAN SQUARE - ROCKET
Deputy Tose stated someone left a military style rocket leaning against a telephone pole in front
of Olden's Pharmacy. It was found and the bomb squad was notified. The entire square was
evacuated and isolated; which was difficult due to lack of man power. And it was serious not
knowing if the rocket was live or not. Deputy Tose stated it made him aware that the town needs
more resources.
Deputy Tose stated he first notified Ms. Cooper-Zach at South Shore Hospital because this
would directly ambulances coming through the square.
The bomb squad deemed the rocket not explosive but still it had propellant in it.
Ms. Cooper-Zach stated she used her communications and rerouted buses and used Twitter to get
media stuff out.
WEYMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL BOMB THREAT - BANK ROBBERY
Mr. Phillips stated when there is a bomb threat to a building it is the building's management's
decision to evacuate or note. Social media issues got out of hand at this incident. In the middle
of the whole incident a bank robbery happened also in South Weymouth and Weymouth Police
needed to respond to that as well.
Questions arose as to the actual evacuation procedure for Weymouth High School and all other
schools in the town.
Deputy Tose stated Weymouth High School made aware of Fire Department's procedures in the
event of bomb threat.
Mr. Phillips stated he thinks that persons that commit threats like this should be changed with a
felony, if caught making a bomb threat.
Mr. Gallagher stated he will make sure that Mayor Kay addresses this issue at the next School
Board meeting.
3
Mr. Gallagher recommended to Mr. Phillips that Chief of Police draft a letter to School
Department requesting that this issue be covered in the student handbook; if you commit this act
it is a felony and you will be arrested, etc.
Mr. Gallagher asked Chairman Mulveyhill to move the LEPC trailer with the barriers to Police
Station Headquarters so that it is readily packed and available in the next emergency.
Mr. Gallagher stated social media is a double edge sword. If they make changes on the site it
can make broadcast to Facebook and Twitter at the same time.
SUPER SHINE
Deputy Tose stated there was a bomb threat called in at the Super Shine. Someone apparently
cleaned out their car and left a pressure cooker at the scene; Fire Department shut down Route 18
until it was cleared.
NEW BUSINESS
SHELTERING AND POWER - HOMELAND SECURITY
Ms. Cooper-Zach asked Chairman Mulveyhill if he had any information to report about the
meeting.
Chairman Mulveyhill stated no, Tom Slattery was at the meeting.
Mr. Gallagher asked when the meeting was.
Chairman Mulveyhill stated the date was moved around a bit; it was in early October 2013.
Mr. Gallagher asked who was aware of the meeting.
Chairman Mulveyhill stated Homeland Security contacted school departments directly only.
Mr. Gallagher asked which building they went to.
Chairman Mulveyhill stated Weymouth High School.
HEALTH CARE RECOVERY SEMINAR
NOVEMBER 22, 2013
12:30-4:00PM
Ms. Cooper-Zach advised the commission that this seminar is being held on Friday, November
22nd and that she would forward registration information to all members.
The seminar will review the following topics:
4
1. Hospitals will discuss the processes by which they initiate recovery planning/functions
when their emergency operations plan is activated in response to a major incident.
2. Hospitals will examine the procedures they use to conduct a standardized damage
assessment of both their hospital and their surrounding community that will inform their
hospital's recovery operations.
3. Hospitals will set S.M.A.R.T. recovery objectives that are based upon both established
organizational priorities and incident specific recovery needs.
4. Hospitals will discuss how they manage financial tracking and reimbursement plans
during response and recovery that account for the impacts that an incident has on their
healthcare operations.
a. Hospitals will discuss how they organize financial records from a response in
order to seek compensation or reimbursement from disaster recovery funding
sources (e.g. public assistance, private insurance, and nongovernmental aid
funds).
5. Hospitals will coordinate recovery operations with community partner s including local
emergency management, healthcare facilities within their region (i.e. regional coalition),
state agencies, and non-governmental/volunteer agencies.
NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the LEPC will be held on January 14, 2013 at 9:00am at McCulloch
Building.
ADJOURNMENT
Mr. Gallagher made a MOTION to ADJOURN at 9:50AM. Mr. Phillips SECONDED the
MOTION. It was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED.
Approved by: __________________________________________________________________
John Mulveyhill, Chairman
Dated: _______________________________________________________________________
5