Town of Newstead Highway resumes full work schedule under COVID-19 guidelines
The weekly COVID-19 Akron/Newstead Public Safety Team reports to Town of Newstead and Village of Akron Emergency Services Coordinator Dan Kowalik announced the Town of Newstead’s highway department return to a full-time work schedule on Monday, April 27. The department is working 4 ten-hour days (Monday through Thursday). Daily temperature monitoring and other COVID-19 protocols are in place.
Recycling events
The Household Hazardous Waste, Shred-it, and Electronics Drop-off are postponed until the September 26 date already in place.
The Town tire drop off and white goods pickup is currently postponed until June 6 and June 8 respectively.
Town of Newstead
Town of Newstead Code Enforcement Officer David J. Miller has altered his schedule to include time to come in on weekends to monitor for activities in the Town which violate Code and PAUSE-NY regulations. He is in the office at various times during the week to take calls and handle CEO related matters. Construction has ceased for most projects in the Town. The project on Buell and Main is allowed to continue due to agricultural exemptions.
The State of Emergency in the Town of Newstead continues until May 14 at which time it will be reevaluated. The continued State of Emergency allows officials to respond quicker and have more access to resources during the COVID-19 situation, as it evolves, and can be rescinded if the situation warrants.
The Newstead Town Hall, Clarence Center, Rd continues to keep its doors shut to public foot traffic and has reduced hours and reduced staffing. They are asking residents to use the drop box, the mail or online portal to conduct business. Staff are working Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the building to process mail and answer phones and address appointments.
The Town Assessor is handling assessment questions on email and phone.
The Town Highway Department is working daily Monday through Friday, with a rotation of three workers each day and keeping appropriate distances.
Newstead Town Court is closed with no staff reporting.
Any questions, call the town hall at 542-4573
Deputy Emergency Services Coordinators continue to help the Town maintain adequate supplies and to provide updated information.
The Newstead Public Library remains closed. Only essential staff report and only one person in building. Kristine comes in to empty book drop and discharge items, do payroll, essential tasks. Staff is working from home to keep Facebook, youtube, current with engaging activities for our community. (see related story this issue).
The Akron-Newstead Senior Center is closed to the public, with decisions on this closure made on a week to week basis. One person is available to take calls and answer emails from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Center has requested a thermometer.
Village of Akron
The State of Emergency continues until May 14 at which time it will be reevaluated. The continued State of Emergency allows them to respond quicker and have more access to resources during the COVID-19 situation, as it evolves, and can be rescinded if the situation warrants.
Akron Police Chief Rick Lauricella reports an increase in patrol on Sundays and a marked increase in Akron Falls Park on nice weather days. APD referred a complaint of failure to social distance to Park Rangers.
The Akron Village Hall remains closed to the public with all transactions by phone, mail, online banking, or drop box. The Village of Akron is operating with a reduced the number of staff members at the Village Hall, Main Street, at any given time. The Village Clerk, Village Treasurer, and Building and Code Enforcement Officer’s office is staffed from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on a revolving basis, to handle critical business. Conversations with CEO Mike Borth are by appointment only.
Village of Akron Streets and Electric Departments have resumed full time operation using daily temperature monitoring, social distancing and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). Deputy Emergency Services Coordinator Joe Hawes is successfully keeping the department adequately supplied with PPE. Yard waste and brush pick-up continues with employees maintaining social distancing guidelines. Compost operations are open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Daily operations continue, on an essential basis, for Water and Sewer as operators continue to rotate shifts. Office access limited to employees only.
Fire Companies
Akron and Newstead Fire companies are practicing social distancing and adapting to new policies, protocols, and procedures as they are received from the county and/or state.
Akron Fire Company has incorporated personal masks or nomex on all calls in all apparatus when they cannot maintain the 6-foot rule.
The fire hall is still shutdown except for call response. When Station 1 is needed, first responders are practicing social distancing of six feet. All members currently wear personal masks at the hall and vehicles when social distancing cannot be obtained. Chief Chuck Haist reports that call volume is increasing from last month.
The Company is currently in the process of creating a SCBA Regulator Cleaning Standard Operating Procedure and conducted training on it last week.
Meetings are being held on ZOOM. The company is waiting for N-95 and Surgical masks, and needs Isopropyl alcohol.
AFC is incorporating drill in ZOOM meetings and NFC has firematic drills available to all firefighters on line. NYS, EMT and CFR recertification classes are being held on ZOOM and are utilized by several EMS personnel.
NFC is participating via ZOOM with the Clarence/Newstead Chiefs along with Medical Directors and Twin City Ambulance on a regular basis to discuss issues that may arise during the course of the pandemic. Niagara Specialty Metals Inc. has donated 15 face shields to the Newstead Fire Company.
Emergency Managers have continued to supply the fire companies with required equipment.
Area fire companies are facing resident concerns over first responders wearing masks to calls. Some residents are breaching the social distancing guidelines at emergency scenes to express their apprehension and fear over the meaning of the safety precautions in place, jeopardizing their safety and the safety of first responders.
As reported in each Town of Newstead/Village of Akron COVID-19 updates over the last six weeks, residents seeking first aid will find expanded safety protocols in place, with all calls for assistance treated as potential infectious disease situations. Questions relative to recent travel, exposure to anyone who may have the virus, symptoms of the person requesting assistance, are all the new normal.
First responders interact with those needing help on a one-to-one basis, as much as possible, to minimize risk of the patient or first responder exposure and additional precautions will be evident to protect all present.
Due to these changes in EMS protocols first responders are required to put a mask on prior to getting on any of their trucks and responding to an emergency scene. First responders are not wearing them due to a patient having COVID-19, this is just a precaution to keep members, their families, and the community safe.
Akron Central School
Akron Central School remains closed until May 15 with the earliest reopen on Monday, May 18, depending the Governor’s action. Exploration of ideas for virtual award and graduation ceremonies is underway so plans are in place should they be needed.
Limited segments of the capital project are set to begin this week including site work on the exterior of the campus.
Meal service continues for to 6 days per week with the same Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. pick up schedule. PPE supplies were secured for food service workers.
School Budget Vote and Board Election is postponed until at least June 1
Emergency Services
Town of Newstead and Village of Akron Emergency Services Coordinator Dan Kowalik is leading the team made up of critical local government, school, and first responder representatives as the community navigates the COVID-19 threat.
Joining Kowalik in leading the team are Deputy Emergency Services Coordinators Mike Mutter and Joe Hawes. The Emergency Service Coordinators handle the coordination of services in the event of an emergency in the Akron-Newstead area. They work closely with local officials and County, State and Federal officials to set up any necessary command centers and shelters. They are highly trained local volunteer firemen who are cross trained in incident command management able to handle a Federal level 1 incident under the National Incident Management System [ NIMS ] which this Emergency has been declared.
Hawes has ordered more PPE through the County. A request for more N-95 masks was denied and Hawes is resubmitting with a lower number requested. Two backordered thermometers are expected in this week. Currently the community has the supplies and protocols needed in place.
For assistance:
Kowalik has announced that if any Akron-Newstead residents need anything they can call the Town Hall at 716-542-4573 Ext 213.