The Exeter Township Fire Department has launched a new initiative aimed at enhancing safety and emergency response for residents and businesses within Exeter Township and St. Lawrence Borough. The new program, called Community Connect, is a free, secure platform where individuals can voluntarily provide critical information about their properties to assist first responders during emergencies.
Through Community Connect, residents can enter details about their homes, including the number of occupants and emergency contact information. Similarly, business owners and managers can supply essential data regarding their commercial properties, such as building features, operational information, and key contacts. This information will be readily available to first responders, providing them with crucial details that could make a significant difference during emergencies.
Phil Ellingsworth Jr., Public Information Officer and Firefighter for the Exeter Township Fire Department, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, “Community Connect puts fire safety in the hands of residents and businesses in Exeter Township and St. Lawrence Borough.”
Ellingsworth highlighted the current challenges faced by first responders, noting, “When the ETFD is dispatched to help those in our community, we are often working with very limited information, mainly what we are hearing on the radio.” By participating in Community Connect, residents and businesses ensure that critical information is immediately accessible to first responders, but only when a call is dispatched to their specific location.
“Those details are critical and can help in an emergency when every moment counts,” added Ellingsworth.
The ETFD assures all participants that the information provided is secure and will only be visible to the fire department when responding to an incident at the registered address. This initiative not only enhances the safety of the community but also empowers residents and business owners to take an active role in their own emergency preparedness.
Registration for the Community Connect portal is open to all residents and businesses within the coverage area. Those interested can sign up and enter their information by visiting https://communityconnect.io/info/pa-exetertownship.
With Community Connect, the Exeter Township Fire Department is taking a proactive step toward fostering a safer community, ensuring that they have the right information at the right time when every second counts.
