DIXFIELD – An effort is under way to develop a hazard mitigation plan for the town of Dixfield.
With one meeting under its belt, the newly created Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee will be seeking additional members at its 10:30 a.m. meeting Monday, June 23, in the town office.
The committee will discuss various possible hazards that may affect Dixfield, such as floods, severe snow and ice storms, wildfires, wind storm damage, hazardous materials, disease, etc., said Town Manager Nanci Allard.
The purpose of the hazard mitigation plan is to reduce the risk of disasters to citizens and minimize damages to structures, infrastructure, and other resources.
The plan will include appropriate communications with first responders – police, fire, local, state and federal officials – as outlined in the existing Dixfield Community Emergency Checklist Plan. A test simulation of the checklist plan will be conducted as soon as possible.
At a recent meeting, Dixfield Fire Chief Scott Blaisdell spoke about the existing fire hazard from the large amount of now very dry wood left behind by the ice storm several years ago, Allard said.
“Furthermore, there are a number of small and weak bridges that lead to remote areas that may not be able to support the weight of the town’s fire trucks,” she added.
The HMP will identify these bridges and prioritize upgrades for each of them.
The committee will also delve into possible risk reduction measures such as issuing informational brochures to people living in remote locations. The brochures would supply information on reducing the risk of wildfires.
Another possible risk reduction measure would inform people living in flood plain areas about reducing the risk of property damage from floods.
Allard said the committee is also considering surveying residents, such as those living in the flood plain area, to ascertain the amount of past damages. The information could be used to establish priorities for appropriate actions and possible grant applications.
Public hearings on the topics will be announced in the near future, she said.
For more information, contact Allard at 562-8151.
tkarkos@sunjournal.com
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.