Mass State Police Begin Preparations for Major Blizzard

Monday, January 26, 2015
GoLocal Worcester News Team

The Massachusetts State Police have begun taking measures to prepare for the upcoming storm that will arrive Monday evening. 

In order to prepare, the State Police have done the following:

1. Specialized equipment to assist in traversing areas with deep snow or flooding has been prepositioned in key locations

2. Commanders of each of the five geographic Troops, as well as commanders of the two Troops serving Logan Airport/Worcester Airport/Boston Seaport and the Massachusetts Turnpike, will continually assess weather, road conditions, and hazardous situations. 

3. The State Police Field Services Division, which encompasses all road patrols, will be supplemented by troopers from the other divisions (Investigative Services, Standards and Training, and Administrative Services). These supplementary troopers will perform patrol and rescue response duties for the duration of the storm. 

4. The State Police Communications Section, which runs several emergency call-centers and public safety answering points throughout the state and accepts most cellular phone 911 calls, will be at maximum staffing, prepared to answer thousands of calls. 

5. State Police commanders continue to coordinate closely with counterparts at the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, the Massachusetts National Guard, and other partner agencies to provide a comprehensive response to maximize the safety of the state’s citizens.

6. State Police Media Relations will alert the public to significant developments or emerging hazards through its communication with the state’s media outlets, as well as through the department’s social media platforms, including @MassStatePolice on Twitter and Facebook.com/MassStatePolice. Alerts will also be sent to subscribers to the MSP’s smartphone application, which can be found by searching applications for Mass SP.