Emergency Management

collection of 911 home numbers

Warming Centers and What You Can Do During Weather Emergencies 

In the event of weather emergencies when you are unable to remain in your homes or to find alternate shelter options, local warming centers are available:

  • Egremont Town Hall, 171 Egremont Plain Rd, No, Egremont (413.528.0182)
  • Claire Teague Senior Center. 917 So. Main St., Great Barrington (413.528.1881)
  • Sheffield Senior Citizens Center, 25 Cook Rd., Sheffield (413.229.7037)

What can you do in the event of weather emergencies?

  • Look in on a neighbor in need. See if they are staying warm, have drinking water, and have a method of heating food. 
  • For neighbors without a cell phone or having difficulty with their connection, help contact their electricity provider to register the outage and provide factual updates.
  • If you have power, a generator, or a warm spare room, offer a neighbor shelter or a chance to warm up.
  • Remember, the very young and the very old are particularly vulnerable to temperatures below 65F if they are sedentary, so help them seek a warming center if unable to bundle up.
  • AND be careful about using alternative power and heating sources such as generators, gas stoves, propane heaters, and wood stoves. Make sure your carbon dioxide and smoke detectors are working. 

Lastly, call the Egremont Police Department at 413.528.2160 for assistance.

Overview

The Town of Egremont has developed a comprehensive all-hazard emergency management response for residents. The response's purpose is to facilitate the delivery of local, adjacent community, and state resources in the event of a disaster. As no single town has the resources to respond to a major incident, the Town uses mutual aid agreements with surrounding jurisdictions and the state.

Questions about the Town's preparedness, please email.

Emergency Preparedness

The Town's Emergency Management Team encourages all residents to be prepared for weather events that affect us in the Berkshires - from severe thunderstorms to winter snows. The information and links on this page will help you better prepare yourself and your family for these events.

Please let us know if you or someone you know would like to be checked on in an emergency, such as severe weather events or power outages! You may call or email the Police Department, and we would be happy to check in with you if the need arises.

Power Outage

It is important to note that National Grid may not be aware of your situation during a power outage. Please make sure they know of your power loss by calling them at 800-322-3223. Also, please contact the Egremont Police Department, so we know of possible downed power lines, etc. You can reach Emergency Management at 413-528-2160.

National Grid Information on Power Outages

Egremont Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Plan

The Town of Egremont prepared a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness and Hazard Mitigation Plan (MVP-HMP) to create an action roadmap to reduce the impacts of natural hazards and climate change within the community and the region. The Select Board adopted the Egremont MVP-HMP Summary of Findings Report (PDF) on June 28, 2022, to update and replace the Berkshire County Hazard Mitigation Plan from 2012. Egremont's MVP plan has received approvals from the Commonwealth and the Federal Emergency Agency Management (FEMA), opening up opportunities for state and federal grant funding to realize the actions stated in the plan.

What is a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Plan?

It is a plan to identify priority action items to address vulnerabilities and utilize strengths in preparation for climate change. In 2017, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) initiated the state's MVP grant program to help communities become more resilient to the impacts of climate change. The program has two grant phases, of which Egremont recently completed the first phase and, with its recent designation, will be able to pursue the second phase:

The first grant phase is the Planning Grant, which funds the vulnerability analyses, engagement, and planning processes. Towns convene a team of municipal staff, engage stakeholders in a Community Resilience Building (CRB) Workshop, and engage community members in developing the plan. Communities that complete the Planning Grant program and prepare an MVP plan are eligible for the second phase of MVP grant funding and receive increased standing for other state grants.

The second phase of the MVP program is the Action Grant, which funds the implementation of priority climate adaptation actions described in the MVP plan. Since these Action Grants are only distributed to Massachusetts municipalities, they are less competitive than similar grants awarded at the national level.

The following individuals served as members of Egremont's MVP Planning Committee:

  • Will Conklin, Chairman, Greenagers
  • Bruce Bernstein, Council on Aging
  • Will Brinker, Egremont Water Department, Emergency Management Committee
  • Donna Bersch Gordon, former member Egremont Planning Board
  • Emily Eyre, Green Committee
  • Lucinda Fenn Vermeulen, Select Board
  • Joyce Frater, Associate Member Conservation Commission
  • Fred Gordon, Housing Committee
  • Juliette Haas, BOH Director/Sustainability Coordinator
  • Edward McCormick, Emergency Management Committee
  • Jim Noe, Highway Department Superintendent"
  • Dave Rejeski, Resident

About Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency

MEMA is the state agency charged with ensuring the state is prepared to withstand, respond to, and recover from all types of emergencies and disasters, including natural hazards, accidents, deliberate attacks, and technological and infrastructure failures. MEMA's staff of professional planners, communications specialists, and operations and support personnel is committed to an all-hazards approach to emergency management. By building and sustaining effective partnerships with federal, state, and local government agencies and with the private sector - individuals, families, non-profits, and businesses - MEMA ensures the Commonwealth's ability to rapidly recover from large and small disasters by assessing and mitigating threats and hazards, enhancing preparedness, providing an effective response, and strengthening our capacity to rebuild and recover. For additional information about MEMA and Emergency Preparedness, go to Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

Follow MEMA updates on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Mobile App

Massachusetts Alerts: to receive emergency information on your smartphone, including severe weather alerts from the National Weather Service and emergency information from MEMA, download the free Massachusetts Alerts app. To learn more about Massachusetts Alerts and for details on downloading the free app onto your smartphone, visit the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Mobile App page.