HARDWICK — Over the past several years, the Town of Hardwick has faced emergency events including a pandemic and multiple floods. In an effort to document and formalize Hardwick’s grassroots disaster response, the Town of Hardwick, in partnership with Hardwick Neighbor to Neighbor volunteers, the Civic Standard, and other community partners, has been working to define and structure Hardwick’s approach to emergency management. To ensure broad community engagement and input about the important initiative, a community gathering will take place on Saturday, April 12, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Hardwick Memorial Building, 20 Church Street.
This event will provide residents with an opportunity to learn more about the emergency preparedness initiative, share feedback, and explore ways to get involved in strengthening the town’s disaster response efforts. Additional outcomes of this project will include user-friendly committee guidance documents, dedicated website pages outlining the ongoing work of the committees, and physical takeaways for all residents to reference in the event of an emergency. The framework is also being considered as a case study for other communities to learn from and potentially implement.
David Upson, town manager, shared his enthusiasm for the project: “As a town, we are proud to see our dedication to emergency preparedness take shape in a structured and sustainable framework. With extreme weather events becoming more frequent in Vermont, a strong, community-driven emergency plan is essential. This partnership reinforces our commitment to keeping our residents safe and ensuring our town remains resilient in the face of future challenges.”
