As the Christmas weekend winds down, I reflect on the last few days and feel deeply proud of Middlefield residents.
We started the weekend with a dangerous storm; high winds and flash flooding. The winds downed trees and left over 200 households without power. The temperature then plummeted into single digits triggering our town’s emergency response procedures.
It is so reassuring to see the coordinated effort of our Emergency Response Team.
Jay Wickham and our public works crew responded early- clearing debris from the roads to maintain access throughout the storm and prevented them from freezing. Chief Tyc and the Middlefield Volunteer Fire Company’s 41 members responded to calls - ranging from downed power lines and flooding, to medical emergencies. The volunteers remained at the fire house to minimize response times and manned locations across town. Rob Poturnicki, Emergency Management Director, kept Eversource and state resources informed of our town’s situation until all homes had power restored late Christmas night. To Rob’s credit, one liaison reported, “I am so impressed with the way Middlefield took care of and advocated for residents.”
The communication between these groups and coordination of their efforts allowed every family’s emergency to be addressed in a timely and efficient manner. The town’s emergency communications to the community can be improved. Please visit the new town website at www.Middlefieldct.org and sign up for “Notify Me” so you will receive all emergency notifications and notices of town activities that interest you.
As I visited families hit with power outages, I saw first hand how our neighbors were rallying together to help each other. Due to the collective efforts of our community, our volunteers and our staff, no family spent a night in a cold dark house. Did I tell you how proud I am to be from Middlefield?
Bob Yamartino