Help in an Emergency

        Cynthia Young, the director of the Amagansett Library, talked to the Amagansett Citizens Advisory Committee before the start of its Monday night meeting about a Suffolk County program called JEEP, for Joint Emergency Evacuation Plan, aimed at people in wheelchairs or the homebound who cannot leave their houses in an emergency situation without help.

    JEEP maintains a county database of those in need of special assistance during disasters, who must be registered ahead of time with the County Office of Emergency Management, she explained, and Ms. Young has volunteered the library as a registration site. She asked ACAC members to “please help spread the word,” adding that volunteers to help evacuate the disabled might also be available through the library.

    Tom Field, a member of the Amagansett Fire Department, noted that the town maintains a similar database, and suggested Ms. Young contact Bruce Bates, who runs it. Other fire and police departments have lists as well, he said, but the trick is keeping all the information up to date: “Are we missing anyone? Are these people still living here?” Mr. Field said another link, the library’s, “would be great.”

    Bill Jackson, who is on the board of Meals on Wheels, promised to pass out the county’s fliers there. Rona Klopman suggested that the East Hampton Town Department of Human Services might also have a list.

    “The trick is getting all this information meshed,” said Ms. Young. “I think the place to start is on the community level, making people aware,” and she urged the members of ACAC to go out and do just that