Crime & Safety

Essex-Middle River Preparing for Irene

A shelter will be available at Eastern Technical High School.

Officials at Franklin Square Hospital, along with fire, EMS and police in the Essex-Middle River area are all bracing for the damage Hurricane Irene could cause this weekend.

Christina Hughes, the director of health care system preparedness for MedStar Health, said she and others at Franklin Square Hospital Center have already assessed the infrastructure at the hospital, including drain and roofs.

In addition, Hughes said the hospital has worked to ensure it has more than adequate equipment, medical supplies and staffing as Irene moves up the east coast. Hughes added that Franklin Square has taken steps to open the hospital command center, but have not opened it yet.

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“We’ve taken all of the proper steps to ensure that our employees have taken the proper personal steps with their families so they can be ready here when the storm comes,” said Hughes, a registered nurse and EMT-P who is also the EMS liaison for Franklin Square.

Local volunteer fire departments are also on high alert to help residents and the Baltimore County Fire Department in any way they are needed. The Middle River Volunteer Fire Department expects to have up to 30 members at the station this weekend.

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Middle River Volunteer Fire Department Capt. Jim Sollenberger said his station hopes to utilize lessons learned from Tropical Storm Isabel in 2003 when the Wilson Point and Bowleys Quarters communities flooded. The 6-foot-3 Sollenberger said he recalls water being as high as his forehead as he assisted residents along Wilson Point Road.

Prior to Irene’s potential arrival, Sollenberger said his members will drive through areas where flooding is expected to see which residents are leaving.

“Planning for the worst and hoping for the best is what we do best,” Sollenberger said. “During Isabel we learned that just because people say it isn’t going to be that bad doesn’t mean that is going to be the case.”

Bowleys Quarters Volunteer Fire Department is taking similar steps. Lt. Brian Eikin said after Isabel, his department created a standard operating procedure for dealing with severe storms.

Eikin is urging residents to take proper precautions, secure valuables and be prepared to leave. For those who don’t have family or friends to stay with, the county will at  in Essex, beginning at noon Saturday.

“We learned a lot of lessons from Isabel,” Eikin said. “Preparedness is the key.”


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