The regional collaboration will equip responders to handle chemical and biological threats.
By Justin Ellis
Portland Press Herald (Maine)
Copyright 2007 Blethen Maine Newspapers, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Maine — Five communities and Cumberland County are forming a special response team to deal with hazardous-material incidents ranging from chemical spills to potential threats from biological weapons.
The Presumpscot Valley Hazardous Materials Team will be composed of specialists from Windham, Scarborough, Standish, Westbrook, Gorham and the county.
Formation of the team makes official a long-standing agreement between the communities to work together in dealing with hazardous-material incidents. Officials say the collaboration allows each community to save money on the equipment and training necessary to respond to emergencies.
''It’s a more vast resource than you would have in your local department on any given day,’' Westbrook Fire Chief Gary Littlefield said, noting that communities will be able to pool expertise as well as equipment.
Westbrook, Windham and Gorham have long had a mutual-aid agreement for dealing with hazardous materials, Windham Town Manager Tony Plante said. Scarborough and Standish joined later.
The new agreement calls for the regional team to be overseen by a board of directors made up of officials representing the members. Plante said the new organization will spend emergency response money more efficiently.
In 2005 Cumberland County received $2.3 million in homeland security grants, said George Flaherty, director of the county emergency management agency. Communities have used the grants to purchase items such as radios and breathing apparatus.
After Sept. 11, 2001, the role of hazardous materials response teams began to include dealing with potential terrorist threats from biological or chemical weapons, Flaherty said. He said a regional group is more effective because individual towns can’t afford the costs, and a regional operation also can be available to respond to statewide emergencies.