DERBY — The state bond commission last month authorized borrowing $1.34 million so Griffin Hospital could replace an old outdoor emergency generator.
“Griffin Hospital currently has two indoor emergency generators, but one generator is over 40 years old and is beyond its useful life. The demand for emergency power far exceeds what the system can support, so the generator will be replaced with a higher capacity generator to meet energy demands during a power outage,” state Rep. Kara Rochelle said in a statement posted to her website.
Rochelle, state Rep. Mary Welander, state Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria and state Sen. Jorge Cabrera each released statements expressing gratitude to the bond commission for approving the money for Griffin, a major employer locally.
“I’m pleased the Bond Commission included this item and look forward to these important improvements being installed and operational,” Klarides-Ditria said in a prepared statement. “Investments in the safety and security of the facilities that our neighbors rely on are investments in the people of the community and Griffin Hospital has always been an active, eager and willing partner in the Valley. This is great news and will mean continued access to world-class medical care for people across the entire Valley region and beyond.”
“In the event of a bad storm or incident that could knock the power out, we all want the peace of mind of knowing if we have a loved one in the hospital, or if we’re in the hospital, that the outage won’t compromise the care received,” Cabrera said in a prepared statement.
“This is a funding victory the entire Valley will benefit from,” Welander said in a prepared statement. “Griffin Hospital serves 130,000 patients and provides care to the most vulnerable populations in the region. The $1,349,700 million will allow the hospital to replace the aging generator in their facility in order to continue providing status-leading care in our community. I want to thank my colleague, Representative Klarides-Ditria, for submitting this requested funding and for unifying the entire Derby delegation in order to make this vital improvement in our community.”
