AG 2001 05 21 - Laserfiche WebLink

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RECOGNITION OF THE CAREMOOR RETIREMENT CENTER AND THE BETHPAGE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH On May 7, 2001, a small fire broke out in one of the resident's rooms of the Caremoor Retirement Center. The smoke from the fire traveled throughout the center and ultimately activated the fire sprinkler system. Caremoor's staff responded quickly and extinguished the fire. The resident who was in the room escaped with minor bums. However the smoke and water damage required the evacuation of the staff and residents until the smoke could be removed from the building and the center was cleaned. The Emergency Management Office was then dispatched to assist with the relocation of the residents. During this time the owner of the center contacted Bethpage Presbyterian Church to request the use of their fellowship hall for a shelter to house 29 of their residents until he could have the appropriate cleaning performed at the retirement center. The church responded immediately by contacting several members to report to the church to assist with the opening of the shelter. As the members of the church were gathering and preparing their fellowship hall for the sheltering operation; the Enochvillb and Karmapolis Fire Departments, the County's Emergency Management Office and the employees of Caremoor were organizing the relocation of the residents. When the relocation was complete the members of the church were waiting at the door to welcome the residents of the retirement home. The transition was so smooth that the responding agencies had very little to do. Both CareMoor and Bethpage Presbyterian Church worked very hard to make this process a success with very little inconvenience to the residents of the retirement home. That is why we are recognizing these two agencies tonight. Caremoor Retirement Center had enough forethought to plan for an emergency of this sort and was able to work within their plan to accommodate their residents. Bethpage Presbyterian Church provided a service to their community by providing a shelter to those who were in need. Both of them will be used as examples by our office to inform others on how to plan for emergencies.