Fairfield Prepares For Hurricane Sandy

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield’s Emergency Management Team is preparing for Hurricane Sandy’s probable arrival early next week. The Fairfield Fire and Police departments held drills Friday morning in preparation, and promise to keep Fairfielders informed as the storm gets closer.

Fairfield residents should prepare for flooding similar to what Hurricane Irene brought to town in 2011.
Photo Credit: *Greg Canuel (File)*

by Greg Canuel

10/26/2012 2:30 p.m.

“One of the things we’re going to do is to get as much information out to the public as possible, and as consistently as we can,” said Fairfield Police Chief Gary MacNamara.

If you haven’t signed up for CodeRed, Fairfield’s new emergency notification system, the Fairfield Police suggest doing so as soon as possible. The Emergency Management Team will use CodeRed to send out emergency information to specific areas in need.

CodeRed replaced the old Reverse 911 system earlier this year. All numbers registered with that system have been carried over, but you can also sign up to add a cell phone or other device to the contact list. The form is available at the Fairfield Police website.

Otherwise, the town’s Info Line at 203-254-4899 will have a pre-recorded message updated with the latest information throughout the storm. The line may be staffed with operators if the storm worsens. The Fairfield Police website and the Town of Fairfield Facebook page will also have updates throughout the storm.

Police remind residents that 911 is only for emergency calls, and other information for the police should go to the main dispatch line at 203-254-4800.

Officials suggest having a “to go kit” with several days’ worth of bottled water, food, flashlights, portable radios and batteries. Fairfield Ludlowe High School will be open as a shelter if necessary. The Fairfield Police Station’s lobby (100 Reef Road) will be open to the public as a phone- and computer-charging station.

Residents with boats still docked at the South Benson Marina have been asked to remove them from the water before Monday. Smaller sailboats and kayaks should also be tied down before the storm arrives.

United Illuminating says they’ve hired extra crews to be on standby once the storm starts to deal with outages. They remind customers to call 1-800-7-CALL-UI to report downed wires if they spot them.

“These sorts of storms can be very unpredictable and difficult to plan for,” said Anthony Vallillo, UI’s president and chief operating officer, in a news release. “However, we have begun preparations to handle whatever this storm might bring.”

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