Staff Writer
During the Jan.11 Caribou City Council meeting, Verne Ouellette, director of the Aroostook County Emergency Management Agency presented Roy Woods, director of the Caribou EMA, with a recognition plaque honoring Woods’ longtime and relentless work done to continuously assure the safety of the citizens of Caribou should the city come face to face with a disaster situation.
Aroostook Republican photo/Barb Scott
Verne Ouellette, director of the Aroostook County Emergency Management Agency, center, presented Caribou Fire Chief and Director of the Caribou EMA Roy ‘Jack’ Woods with a recognition plaque honoring his continuous work with the Caribou EMA, assuring local residents would be safe should a disaster situation arise. At right is Darren Woods, son of the award recipient and assistant Aroostook County EMA director. The award was presented to Chief Woods during the Jan.11 Caribou City Council meeting.
The award reads, “On behalf of the Aroostook County Emergency Management Agency, we would like to recognize Roy Woods for his tireless efforts in orchestrating many challenges within the city’s Emergency Management Agency which helped increased the overall preparedness of the city of Caribou in dealing with disasters. Understanding the need for trained volunteers, he worked extremely hard in developing a Community Emergency Response Team, one that is in our mind, one of the best in the state. Thank you for your extra and diligent efforts in assuring the citizens of Caribou are kept as safe as possible.”
Ouellette stated, “We want to make everyone aware of the role Roy Woods plays in preparing for the safety of the citizens of Caribou in a disaster situation.”
Chief Woods thanked Ouellette and the city council members for their support regarding his work. “I know I have hounded Steve Wentworth (Caribou codes enforcement officer) to continuously change safety codes within the city and I appreciate his patience and support regarding these issues,” he said.
According to Ouellette’s statements prepared when nominating Woods for the 2008 County Director’s Council Candidate of the Year Award, “Roy Woods became the city of Caribou EMA director in 1993 and since that time he has orchestrated many changes and increased the overall preparedness of the city of Caribou. Mr. Woods worked with the County EMA to start up his Caribou Community Emergency Response Team and has since continued recruitment and training for a staff of approximately 30 individuals. Chief Woods’ team have built up a capacity for sheltering in the city of Caribou and four other surrounding communities. To expand, he has also led the drive to be more mobile, allowing them to assist other areas of our county. Their value was shown during the spring flooding in 2008, when we could not get personnel to open a shelter in Fort Kent, Mr. Woods mobilized his team to set up the shelter and feed victims and first responders during the first operational period.”
Ouellette continued, “The Caribou EOC has also seen many changes. Mr. Woods worked with the County EMA office to get their EOC out of the library basement and into a partnership with the Aroostook County EMA sharing an EOC. As recently as June 2009, the Caribou EOC has again moved into its own facility which is located next to the Caribou Fire Station, and has its own communications room, meeting room, industrial-sized kitchen and back-up generator power. This team also has a group of HAM radio operators which have been instrumental to the County EMA in the past.”
Ouellette’s testimony also included: “Under the direction of Mr. Woods, the city of Caribou gained its Storm Ready designation from the National Weather Service in the past year. This was no small feat as he completed the planning documentation and ensured critical facilities around the city were equipped with NOAA weather radios.”
