DeLauro Secures $1 Million for Town of North Branford Emergency Operations Center in Fiscal Year 2022 Funding Bill

Press Release

House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) secured $1 million for an updated, state-of-the-art Emergency Operation Center (EOC) for the Town of North Branford in the Fiscal Year 2022 Homeland Security appropriations bill. The Town of North Branford currently operates with outdated, vintage 1970's technology. This federal funding will translate into greater emergency capabilities, better response and recovery coordination, and a more resilient community.

"When the generator failed and the Emergency Operation Center for the Town of North Branford lost all radio, landline, and cellular communications during Storm Isaias, it was a glaring wake-up call," said Congresswoman DeLauro. "As a designated American Red Cross Regional Shelter location, the Town of North Branford's emergency response capabilities are key to securing our communities. North Branford's ability to shelter residents displaced by natural or manmade disasters depends upon having a facility that is large enough to accommodate all key public safety personnel. Our community cannot afford to run into the dangerous issues it ran into during Isaias. I am pleased that, as Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, I was able to secure this critical funding to keep families across the region safe."

"I am excited to learn the news that the Town of North Branford is one of the communities being considered for community project funding," said Chief of the North Branford Police Department Kevin Halloran. "It seems that we are receiving an increased number of severe weather alerts. Most recently, North Branford suffered extensive damage during storm ISAIAS. Our current EOC is antiquated with vintage technology. During the storm, we lost all communications including public safety radio, telephone, cellular, and the loss of 911 for approximately 48 hours which created an extremely dangerous condition for our first responders. Our vision is to use the EOC for community functions, such as community education and partnerships as well as a state of the art first responder training facility and provide a space for mental health and addiction counselors to provide further services to the community, when not activated for disasters and or public health emergencies. North Branford is also home to Lake Gaillard which provides water for more than 500,000 customers of the Regional Water Authority in New Haven County. To have the tools and the space to effectively manage natural or manmade disasters is essential in North Branford."

The current Emergency Operations Center is co-located within the North Branford Police Department Police Commission and Training Room. This facility does not offer pre-set stations or any electronic capabilities for proper coordination and response to emergencies which put the Town and the region at risk.

Chair DeLauro's statement at the full committee markup of the fiscal year 2022 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies funding bill can be found here. This funding bill is expected to pass the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, July 13.

Source