Some local emergency management directors say Entergy is backing away from agreements to provide the additional funds needed to replace aging equipment and train the hundreds of first responders their emergency plans require. They say that Entergy officials in recent years had proposed changing the funding structure by increasing the company’s annual lump sum payment if the town would be responsible for all local training costs.
In the past, some training costs have been billed to the company. But this year, local officials said, a new management team at Pilgrim changed direction.
“They made an agreement last year. They are not fulfilling their promise,’’ said Robert Heath, Kingston’s emergency management director and fire chief. His town received $100,000 from Entergy last year, but was promised $185,000, he said.
“When somebody makes a promise and then they renege, I’m not happy about that,’’ he said. “Do I think we get great support for Entergy? No, they could do a little bit more.’’
Asked to respond to the assertions that the company is reneging on its promises for more aid, Entergy officials said the company still is in negotiations and would not discuss the details of its funding offers.
In Duxbury, officials say a broken promise by Entergy for more funding has caused the town to lay off two employees from its emergency department and weaken its preparation efforts. The town has been offered only $115,000 this year, after being promised $185,000 last year, officials say.
The loss of two part-time employees means that measures such as the distribution of revised emergency response information are not being carried out, said Kevin Nord, the town’s emergency management director and fire chief. “This, coupled with the discontinued training, will border on our ability to respond efficiently and therefore jeopardizes reasonable assurance’’ that the town is prepared for an emergency, Nord said.
