DERRY — George Klauber, Derry's fire chief and emergency management director, has been named New Hampshire's Emergency Management Director of the Year by the Northeast States Emergency Consortium (NESEC).
Christopher M. Pope, Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said Klauber was nominated for the award for his work in directing his community's response to the December 2008 ice storm, which caused widespread power outages, blocked roads and disrupted communications.
"Chief Klauber instituted door-to-door wellness checks on Derry residents to ensure their safety and used innovative means of communication, such as the town's AM radio station and flyers delivered to homes by mail carriers and along with take-out food to provide information on shelters and other assistance," Pope said. "His efforts helped Derry residents get through the ice storm safely."
Many areas of town were damaged and without power for weeks, with a massive cleanup effort put in place following the storm.
The award was presented at the fifth annual N.H. Emergency Management Conference, held June 23 in Manchester. More than 450 participants from state agencies, local communities and the private sector attended the conference.
NESEC is made up of the six New England states, plus New York and New Jersey.
