Forum On Emergency Planning In Shelton

Shelton resident Mickey Lacrosse said she is going to do her part to help keep her neighborhood safe.

Following a public forum on emergency preparedness Wednesday night at Shelton Intermediate School, Lacrosse grabbed a stack of documents to pass along to her neighbors.

These are going in every mailbox on my street,” Lacrosse said.

Organized by Rep. Jason Perillo, Shelton’s state representative, the forum featured Connecticut Homeland Security Commissioner Peter Boynton.

This is designed to help raise awareness and give people the tools they’re looking for,” Perillo said.

Following the Times Square bombing attempt and news that suspected bomber, Faisal Shahzad, had lived for years in Shelton, Perillo said he received at least 10, maybe 20” calls from people with concerns and questions.

Click here to read the latest on Shahzad’s case.

A lot of the questions I got were, What should I look out for?’ and I couldn’t answer their questions,” Perillo said. It made sense to bring Boynton in.”

When it comes to emergency preparedness, Boynton drove home the importance of being aware.

We know more than we think,” Boynton said. You don’t have to be a movie star on 24.” You just need to know your surroundings. If something doesn’t seem right, say something.”

To help make his point, Boynton — a retired U.S. Coast Guard captain and former director of security for the Transportation Security Administration at Bradley International Airport — talked about the T‑shirt vendor who alerted police in the Times Square bombing attempt.

He knew that corner better than anyone. You don’t have to be trained in anti-terrorism tactics; you need to know your neighborhood,” Boynton told the audience. He saw a vehicle and its operator do something not normal for that corner and he did something about it.”

Man-made disasters were not the only topic of discussion though. During his talk, Boynton discussed the importance of being prepared for natural disasters, like hurricanes, for example.

Pay attention to news. Pay attention to reports,” Boynton advised the audience. We all have an individual responsibility for our own safety, the safety of our families and the safety of our community.”

To learn more about emergency preparedness in the state, go to www.ct.gov/demhs or call 1 – 860-566‑3180.

Keep local reporting alive. Donate.ValleyIndy.org