The Emergency Management Team in Pennsbury is made up of 16 volunteers, each trained in one or more areas of activity which could be called into action by an emergency in our Township.

Pennsylvania Statutes require that every municipality maintains an Emergency Management function, and charges each municipality with the responsibility of managing any emergency which occurs within its borders. (While Chester County, the state of Pennsylvania, and the Federal Government can all provide assistance at such a time, they only do so upon request and after the municipality has exhausted its resources).

Our Emergency Management Group reports to our Board of Supervisors through our Emergency Management Coordinator. Its members can provide the Supervisors, and the community, with a broad variety of services any one of which, or all of which may be called upon during an emergency. Included in those services are communications (both within the Township, and with First Responders and County officials); provision of public information; coordination and support of Township Road Department activities; transportation of large numbers of Township residents; establishment of mass care centers (shelter and food); collection of damage assessment information; providing short-wave radio contact with the Chester County Department of Emergency Services; and maintaining an inventory of Pennsbury residents with either special skills or special needs.

Not only can those who are specifically charged with them provide these services, but they canas wellbe taken over by other members of the group. The protocol, sequence of actions, and contacts for each are detailed in the Pennsbury Emergency Operations Plan (E.O.P.). This plan, and the cross training each of our members has received, assures continuity of our response, even though some of our members may not be available during a given event.

Our activities during the 1993 Hurricane Isabel, and 1994s Tropical Storm Jeanne, along with a number of training exercises have provided valuable insight into the support Emergency Management can provide to Pennsbury Township.

We hope never to be needed, but we're ready!