BOSTON – With the summer beach season fast approaching, an effort to improve emergency response at Outer Cape towns is getting help from the state.
The move to enhance emergency response to the towns comes after two shark attacks occurred within a month last summer, one of which killed a 26-year-old Revere man at Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet. The other attack, at Long Nook Beach in Truro, left a 61-year-old New York man seriously injured.
Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito joined Senator Julian Cyr (D-Truro) and Representative Sarah Peake (D-Provincetown) on Tuesday to announce $383,000 in state funds for municipal preparedness and emergency response programs in the six Cape Cod towns that have Atlantic facing beaches: Truro, Eastham, Wellfleet, Chatham, Orleans and Provincetown.
The funds will be allocated through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
“Immediately after the fatal shark attack last September in Wellfleet, the week right after it I received a call from Lieutenant Governor Polito’s office asking what they can do to help. I said, ‘let me think about this. Let me talk to the other towns on the Outer Cape here because it’s an issue for all of us here on the Outer Cape,’” said Wellfleet Town Administrator Dan Hoort.
“The outer six towns have gotten together and have talked about what our needs are, what our pressing needs are right now on how to address this issue, and most of it came down to communications and response,”
The funds will help the towns purchase emergency call boxes in areas where cell service is limited, satellite phones for local lifeguards, utility terrain vehicles that can reach a patient on the beach and specialized medical equipment.
Hoort adds that the towns are also looking to install cell tower repeaters to improve cell phone coverage across Outer Cape beaches. Poor cell phone service and difficulty reaching public safety officials were reported during the two attacks last summer.
“Then, we also looked at when an incident does happen, what do we need as far as medical response?” Hoort explained.
“Some of that is as simple as a stretcher with larger tires that’s capable of going on the sand on the beach, or in Wellfleet, because of our dunes, we’re looking at getting a rescue vehicle that is capable of putting an ambulance on the back of the rescue vehicle and it can go up and down the dunes. Our response time will be much better is how I’ll put it.”
During the fatal attack at Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet, which took the life of 26-year-old Arthur Medici, bystanders assisted in initial treatment and helped carry him a significant distance down the beach to the parking lot to meet first responders.
Medici suffered serious leg injuries and was unconscious. He was rushed to Cape Cod Hospital by ambulance where Wellfleet Police confirmed he was pronounced dead.
“Our administration is pleased to provide funds to address critical infrastructure equipment needs as it relates to the safety of all Massachusetts residents and visitors,” said Polito.
“We are grateful to our partners at the local level and in the Legislature for continuing to work together with us to address this important issue.”
Hoort says most of the measures will be in effect before the height of the summer tourist season, with the cell phone technology expected to take slightly longer.
“We are trying to have all of this in place by the summer. Now, something to do with the repeaters, it may not be until July until we’re able to get it in. But, we’re really looking to have all of this in place by July 1st,” said Hoort.
By TIM DUNN, CapeCod.com News Center
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