DiMartino declares snow emergency in Derby beginning at midnight

DERBY - Mayor Joseph DiMartino has declared a snow emergency beginning at 12 midnight on Sunday, Jan. 18.

Parking will be restricted to the even numbered side of all city streets until 36 hours after the storm ends.

The Derby Municipal Parking Garage at 2 Thompson Place will be open for residents of the downtown area to park their cars during the storm at no charge until Monday, January 19, 2026 at 9 a.m.

We ask that all non-emergency vehicles stay off the roads during the storm for your safety.

This is a press release from Town Clerk Marc Garofalo.

Ansonia Police announce citywide emergency parking ban

ANSONIA - A Snow Emergency Parking Ban will be in effect citywide in Ansonia starting at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8, and continuing until 12 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 9.

While snowfall is expected to end by Sunday morning, the parking ban will remain in place to allow Public Works crews to clear snowbanks and widen roadways. The ban may be extended if necessary. Vehicles not moved during the Parking Ban may be towed at any time.

Available Parking Options:
All City of Ansonia public and school parking lots will be available for off-street parking during the ban.

Parking & Towing Information:
Vehicles must be removed from school parking lots by 8 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 9 to prepare for school operations on Monday.
Any vehicles left in school lots after the deadline may be towed at the owner's expense.

If your vehicle has been towed, please contact the Ansonia Police Department at (203) 735-1885 for assistance.

This is shared from the Ansonia Police Department Facebook page.

Ansonia activates emergency operations center

ANSONIA - The City of Ansonia has activated its Emergency Operations Center.

Ansonia’s flood walls were closed as a precautionary measure against rising waters in the Naugatuck River.

Seymour official opens emergency shelter at Middle School

Sharing this from the Valley Independent Sentinel.
 

Echo Hose Ambulance in Shelton to host Narcan training

 

Seymour Public Schools facing bus driver shortage

Shared from Seymour Public Schools' Facebook page.

Rochelle shares information on hurricane preparedness

State Rep. Kara Rochelle

The long hurricane season began June 1 and is expected to be an active one.

Connecticut has largely been spared from major hurricanes in recent years – for that we are thankful – but residents should always be prepared.

The Atlantic hurricane season ends on Nov. 30 – with mid-August to mid-October the period when Connecticut historically faces threats from hurricanes and tropical storms.

These storms are unpredictable and that's why you should always be prepared and have a plan of action in the event of a serious weather event.

The Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security website contains useful resources to help you stay informed, prepare, and stay safe during many emergencies.

CT Hurricane Preparedness Guide

Download CT Prepares Mobile App


Make sure you have an emergency supply kit, an evacuation plan, and a plan to safeguard your home and possessions, so you and your family are safe during hurricane season.


This is shared from a press release from state Rep. Kara Rochelle, D-Ansonia/Derby.

TEAM, Inc. seeks donations for Valley food pantries

*Shared from TEAM, Inc. Facebook page.

Mayor Dziekan signs emergency declaration for City of Derby

Richard Dziekan

DERBY - With all of the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, earlier today I signed an emergency declaration for the City of Derby. 

This move loosens some constraints in the City Charter and allows us to react quickly to any issues that may arise over the coming weeks. I want to make it clear that we do not have any confirmed cases of Coronavirus here in Derby, but we are following the recommendation of the city attorney, our local emergency management department, and other professionals who have advised me to take this step.

The main reason for doing so is to open up access to state and federal funding that would not otherwise be available. 

With this declaration, I also have certain latitude to manage this crisis I would normally not have, including the ability to make emergency purchases of equipment to support critical functions like the PD and other first responders.

Our main priority is the safety of our staff and residents. We understand that some actions that have been taken thus far may cause hardship for our residents. Please know that we do not make these difficult decisions lightly and we ask for your continued patience and understanding as we work through this difficult period.

As the home to Griffin Hospital and its Cancer Center, we wish to protect all our residents and patients of the Hospital during this difficult time. 
We have been in contact with Griffin Hospital and the Naugatuck Valley Health District to keep the lines of communication open and transparent. Together we will work to reduce the exposure of our citizens and guests.

Derby City Hall, the Veterans Community Center, the Senior Center, and Derby Public Library will remain closed as announced last week and our schools will be closed until at least March 27, 2020. All in person, board and commission meetings will be cancelled until the end of March and updates on meeting schedules for April will be announced at a later date. Certain meetings will take place via the Zoom application and will be posted to the city website. All other city events are cancelled and will be rescheduled if possible.

I ask that all residents continue to be vigilant about protecting themselves and each other from the virus. Most importantly, please avoid all unnecessary gatherings. If you must go out in public, use social distancing to limit your contact with others and wash your hands frequently. If you are feeling sick, it is highly recommended that you remain home to avoid spreading the illness. Please reach out via phone, text or email to family and friends who may live alone to make sure they are feeling ok. 

If you believe you or someone in your family has contracted COVID-19, please contact your healthcare provider or emergency room rather than going to the emergency room to seek testing.

We’re all in this together so it is important that we make a collective effort to protect the vulnerable in our community. 

A copy of the Emergency Declaration is attached to this document.

We would like to direct our residents to the following resources to familiarize themselves with the facts about the virus and precautions that should be taken:

Naugatuck Valley Health District - http://www.nvhd.org/coronaviruses/COVID-19/ 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html 

Dial 2-1-1 or text CTCOVID to 898211 with questions or concerns.

We are acting out of an abundance of caution and have no reason to believe that there is currently any immediate cause for concern in Derby. 

It is important that we do everything in our power to keep it that way. We encourage our residents to approach this virus with caution and to follow the steps recommended by public health officials to reduce unnecessary contact and slow the spread. 
I understand many residents may disagree with this decision, but we ask for patience and understanding as we work through this together. This situation is very fluid and we are following the most current directives of our local health department and the state and federal governments. We will continue to update you in the coming days as more information becomes available.

If you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact my office at 203.736.1450 Extension 221 or www.derbyct.gov.

Public health officials offer tips to prepare for spread of coronavirus

Sharing from a Facebook post:

Seymour Fire Department shares storm safety tips

With the upcoming storm this weekend, the Seymour Fire Department wants to remind everyone about some important safety tips.

1. Please remember to clear paths to all of your doorways. It is important to have multiple ways out of your residence in an emergency.

2. Clear snow around any vents such as heaters or dryers.

3. In the event of a power outage, use flashlights not candles. If you have to run a generator, make sure it is at least 10 feet from your residence and the exhaust is blowing away.

4. Make sure you have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

5. Make sure you check on elderly neighbors and family members.

6. Please help us out by shoveling around your neighborhood fire hydrants, it will help us help you in the event of an emergency. Our crews will be out shoveling hydrants next week, but it takes a long time to get them all done in between emergency calls. Please help us by adopting a hydrant near your residence.

7. In the event of an emergency, remember to call 911 not the firehouse.

Stay safe and enjoy the storm!

*Shared from the department's Facebook page.

Bishop Wicke Health Center in Shelton holds mock evacuation

Center holds mock facility evacuation drill./ Contributed photo

SHELTON - Bishop Wicke Health and Rehabilitation Center at Wesley Village recently participated in a mock facility evacuation. 

Conducted by the Connecticut Long Term Care Mutual Aid Plan, the purpose of the exercise was to evaluate the interaction of the LTC-MAP members in each region in preparation for internal events (fire, power failures) and external events (hurricanes, ice storms, tornadoes, etc.). 

In this particular exercise, Bishop Wicke received mock residents (volunteers) from another “Disaster Struck Facility.” 
The drill was designed to be as realistic as possible. 
The volunteers portrayed various resident personas and the staff at Bishop Wicke had to react to challenges accordingly. 

The five-star nursing home set up spaces for Operations, Planning and Logistics, Triage, Command Center and Surge Area as the “disaster” struck.  

The drill tested the facility’s communication, tracking of evaluated residents and handling of a large influx of residents.

Debra Samorajczyk, Administrator at Bishop Wicke, said, “Emergency preparedness is key to providing a safe and secure living environment for our residents. We are proud to be able to collaborate with our local community partners and the LTC-MAP plan to ensure that we are ready in the event any disaster strikes.”

Bishop Wicke offers short-term rehab and skilled nursing care, including specialized programs for surgical recovery, orthopedics, cardiac and respiratory rehab, heart failure and more. 
The facility is located at 584 Long Hill Ave. and is owned and operated by United Methodist Homes, a local, not-for-profit organization. 

For information about Bishop Wicke, visit www.wesleyvillage-ct.org or call 203-929-5321.


This is a press release from United Methodist Homes.

Seymour Senior Center to host preparedness workshop

Baby girl born in the arms of ARMS in Ansonia

I love this story! I meant to post it earlier today. Congratulations to the ambulance crew members.

Shared from the City of Ansonia Facebook page:

"This afternoon, [Sunday] ARMS was dispatched for the reported active childbirth. Crews responded to find the patient having contractions just minutes apart. Crews quickly and safely transferred Mom to the ambulance and as we were about to depart for the hospital, the little baby had other plans. 
"A healthy baby girl was born in the back of Bravo 9 at 2:21pm. Truly outstanding job to the crews and VEMS medics involved. Amidst all of the heartbreak and sickness we see, today was a great one that will not soon be forgotten. We are so happy that Mom and baby are doing well."

Cassetti shares text of Ansonia Code Red Alert message

The following Code Red Alert message will be sent to Ansonia residents from Mayor David S. Cassetti: (see www.cityofansonia.com to register for Code Red Alerts)

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT DUE TO SEVERE WINTER WEATHER BEING FORECASTED THERE WILL BE A 24 HOUR CITY-WIDE PARKING BAN BEGINNING AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. ALL CARS WILL NEED TO BE REMOVED FROM CITY STREETS.

PLEASE NOTE THAT NOLAN FIELD, PINE LOT, COLONY PARK, LINETT PARK, CHRIST'S CHURCH AND EAST AND WEST MAIN PARKING LOTS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC USE.

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ALL CITY BUILDINGS WILL BE CLOSED TOMORROW, THURSDAY, JANUARY 4.

FINALLY, THERE WILL BE A TWO DAY DELAY IN TRASH PICK UP DUE TO THE NEW YEAR'S HOLIDAY AND WEATHER CONDITIONS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. PLEASE STAY SAFE AND WARM.

David S. Cassetti
Mayor, City of Ansonia
253 Main Street
(203) 736-5900

*Taken from a post on the City of Ansonia Facebook page.

Program on safety for children slated at Huntington Branch Library

SHELTON - A program on Home/Fire/911 Safety for Kids will be held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Huntington Branch Library, 41 Church St.

A representative from Griffin Health will teach children, ages 3-5, the definition of an emergency and the ways in which police officers, firefighters, and EMS workers help us. 

Stay for hands-on activities including using a special phone that simulates calling 911. 

Please register at http://engagedpatrons.org/EventsRegister.cfm…


*Sharing from the Shelton Library System Facebook page.

Message sent on behalf of Derby school superintendent shared

Good Afternoon,

At 11:30 a.m. a strange odor was reported at Derby Middle School. 

Our emergency system was activated and a code green was called. 
Students evacuated to the auditorium at the high school. 911 was called and fire and police responded. 

Utilizing a thermal imaging detector, it was determined the source of the odor to be coming from a computer monitor.  

The fire department cleared the building and students returned to their classes.

This information is from Superintendent of Schools Matthew Conway's office.

Elementary school students in Seymour learn emergency preparedness

Bungay School fourth grade teacher Cindy Botti pictured with her students and CERT Bob Wilson./ Photo by Rich Kearns

Chatfield-LoPresti School fourth grade teachers Kyle Mullaney and Jara Ciocca pose with Police Officer Jack Harkins and students./ Photo by Rich Kearns

SEYMOUR - On Aug. 31 a proclamation was issued by President Barack Obama declaring September as “National Preparedness Month.” 

Last week all Seymour Public Schools fourth grade students participated in the Federal Emergency Management Administration’s “Students Tools for Emergency Planning” program, also known as STEP.  
This is the 10th year Seymour students have participated in the STEP Program, which was piloted in Seymour in 2008.  

Seymour Public Schools Director of Security Rich Kearns received national recognition when FEMA modeled the program nationally after the Seymour program.  The STEP Program is sponsored by FEMA and the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.  
Kearns has been presenting the program for the last 10 years to all fourth grade students at Bungay Elementary School and Chatfield-LoPresti Elementary School.  
Seymour Police Department Community-School Resource Officer John Harkins and Seymour Citizens Emergency Response Team President Robert Wilson assisted Kearns this year showing students the steps on how to prepare student's families in the event an emergency or disaster was to strike. 
Each student was given a backpack to take home that contained items to help start building their own family emergency kit along with information to share with their families to better prepare them in the event of an emergency.  
The goal of STEP Program is to provide some resources to families in the community to better prepare them for emergencies as it is found that if people are better prepared to deal with a crisis the outcomes and recovery process will be that much easier for them.  
Throughout September Kearns, Seymour Fire Marshal Tim Willis, Seymour Emergency Management Director Tom Eighmie, Seymour Police Department Community-School Resource Officer Jack Harkins, as well as other first responders conducted emergency response drills district-wide with all students K-12.  

All Star Transportation Safety Supervisor Brenda Bass and school bus safety team members also joined Kearns in conducting school bus evacuation drills for students in the district who ride the bus to school.  
All of these programs and drills are part of a continuous effort by Seymour Public Schools and Seymour Emergency Services Personnel working together to better prepare our schools and families in the event an emergency were to occur and to help make our schools a safer place.   

This is a press release from Rich Kearns, Director of Security, Seymour Public Schools.

Seymour now equipped with emergency animal shelter

Sharing from the Facebook page of the Office of the First Selectman:
"Seymour is now home to this mobile emergency animal shelter [pictured above]. This regional asset will provide support for several local communities but will be staged in Seymour. This unit carries bulk quantities of cages, food and water bowls and snares. Use of this equipment at shelters will be managed by our CERT team with training programs provided by the Region/State."

Emergency numbers for Valley residents

Taken after the blizzard of February, 2013 on East Main Street, Ansonia.

Sharing this list of important numbers to have handy during the impending storm. 

This information was posted today on the Valley Independent Sentinel.