Argyle EMO eyes municipal building for new operations centre

The idea would be to set up the centre in a lower-level section of the Tusket facility.

A new centre is badly needed, EMO representatives said in a presentation to Argyle municipal council.

The organization’s previous facility, an old trailer, is no longer usable.

EMO officials need a place where they have computer access and where they can use other communications equipment, including telephones and fax.

The centre’s design, they say, should provide people with the space they need to do their jobs.

(A backup plan, already apparently successfully tested, is in place until a new operations centre is ready.)

Emergency or disaster response is a joint effort that can involve people from various agencies and departments – among them firefighters, police officers, medical personnel – and having an adequate place out of which to work is crucial, Argyle council members were told during their committee-of-the-whole meeting of Feb. 26.

In response to the presentation, Councillor Bruce Hubbard suggested the municipality proceed with getting some estimates regarding the cost of developing an emergency operations centre in the municipal building.

The municipality at least should get a break on labour costs, given that there have been offers from people to help out with carpentry work and other things that would be required.

This sort of community spirit not only is seen here but also can be evident during the emergency response process, Argyle EMO coordinator Eugene Doucette citing the example of a local business – Carl’s Store in Tusket – donating bottled water to those affected by the recent flooding in the Quinan area.

And while the situation in that part of the county wasn’t as bad as it was a few years ago, officials note that emergencies can occur anytime – flooding being just an example – hence the ongoing need to be ready.