The Town of Hanover has received the StormReady Community Designation from the National Weather Service. StormReady is a program that addresses the need for a higher level of community awareness in order to minimize the loss of life and property from extreme weather. This program encourages communities to take a new and proactive approach to improve local hazardous weather operations and public awareness.
Becoming a StormReady Community is the latest accomplishment in this year’s public safety goal of enhancing emergency management. The Hanover Emergency Management Agency spearheaded the comprehensive and collaborative process toward attaining this designation which involved all departments in Town specifically the Fire and Police Departments, Department of Public Works, Communications Specialist, and Hanover Public Schools.
Through the course of obtaining this designation, Hanover has taken a proactive approach to improve the town’s local hazardous weather preparedness and response operations by developing or improving policies and procedures related to handling all types of extreme weather, from tornadoes to winter storms.
The Town’s full StormReady policies and procedures can be found on the Town’s Hazardous Weather Preparedness web page. More importantly, these plans create clear guidelines for the recognition of severe weather that may impact the community. Once recognized, the plan includes a robust and systematic approach to notification of key public safety, school, and municipal leaders, who are armed with increased situational awareness that enables them to take the proactive steps necessary to respond appropriately to protect lives and property. Further, these policies and procedures provide a framework for providing residents with notifications and information before, during, and after a severe weather-related event.
No community is storm proof, but Hanover is now StormReady.
Original source can be found here.
