Thank an EMT at Northwest EMS's open house

Every month at Borough Council's business meeting, we have a report from Northwest EMS about the number of calls its ambulances have responded to in the area. Just by 7 p.m. today, May 1, they responded to 21 calls throughout the area, from Elizabethtown and the surrounding townships to Columbia and Manheim.

Living just two blocks from Market Street, I hear an ambulance siren more often than I'd like.

State of emergency remains in effect

Officials in Elizabethtown Borough issued the following news release this morning:

A state of emergency remains in effect for Elizabethtown Borough. Flood waters have receded, but residual damages have presented hazards.  These include some sidewalk areas. Residents are urged to use caution in their travel and other activities. South Chestnut Street between Park Street and East Bainbridge Street sustained flood damage and remains closed. All other streets are open to traffic at this time. During the peak of the flooding, the borough’s sanitary sewer collection system experienced significant impact in flow by flood waters, causing sewer backup at some residences. Residents should take care to thoroughly clean residue in all impacted areas. The Borough is not responsible for this cleanup. Residents should check with their homeowners insurance policies to see if assistance may be available. There are no plans for a borough-wide power outage at this time. Residents should call 367-1700 for emergency dumpster permits should they be required for cleanup.

Borough office to close Thursday morning, Sept. 30

Elizabethtown Borough's offices will be closed until about 12 p.m. Thursday because crews will be installing a new emergency generator. All power to Borough Hall will be shut off during the installation, meaning that employees won't be able to use phones or computers, not to mention possible safety issues of the building not having lighting for several hours.

Borough Council authorized the purchase of the generator in the 2010 budget because Borough Hall does not have any backup power source. In the event of an extended power outage in Elizabethtown, police officers would not be able to use equipment at the police station, nearly all of which is electronic and/or computerized. Borough staff also would not have been able to conduct business.

Department of Health to distribute potassium iodide next week

The state Department of Health is making potassium iodide (KI) tablets available free to members of the general public within a 10-mile radius of nuclear power plants who voluntarily want them. Elizabethtown is within the radius of Three Mile Island.

The tablets can be stored in people’s homes and taken under the order of the secretary of health if necessary in the aftermath of a serious emergency at Three Mile Island. The tablets assist in minimizing the effect of radiation on the thyroid gland in the unlikely event of an exposure.

KI was distributed to people in the past and most table packets have now expired.

The tablets will be available between 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 1, 2 or 3, at the Free Masons Cultural Center, Masonic Village.

For further information, people can contact the Department of Health's southeast district office at 610-378-4352.