Norma Cummings

Retired County Emergency Services Project Coordinator Norma Cummings will present on the topic, “Be Safe, Be Prepared” at the Marvin Community House today.

Cummings worked for the Chautauqua County Office of Emergency Services for 10 years where her main role was emergency response planning for natural disasters, pandemics and threat- based emergencies. During that time, she responded to floods, tornadoes, search events for missing persons, drownings, power outages and the H1N1 influenza outbreak.

Cummings’ presentation will include how to prepare for a variety of life’s emergencies and also will cover available resources people can use to prepare.

The luncheon starts at noon and costs $18 for members and $21 for guests. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 716-488-6206.

Jamestown Deputy Fire Chief Matt Coon said fire crews found flames on the front porch, porch roof and into the second floor when they responded to 341 East Fifth Street just after 2:00 a.m. yesterday. It took crews about 30 minutes to knock down the fire.

The two adults and two children who lived in the house escaped without injury, but two cats died in the fire. No firefighters were injured.

Coon said fire officials determined “improperly discarded smoking materials” on the porch were the cause of the fire. While the front of the house was extensively damaged, Coon said it is not a total loss.

Jamestown Fire was assisted by Jamestown Police, the Board of Public Utilities, Alstar EMS, and Chautauqua County EMS.

This is COVID-19 infection testing to determine if you have coronavirus in your system at the time of testing. This is not antibody testing. Test samples will be analyzed at a NYS licensed laboratory, and results should be available within 24-48 hours.

Drive-through testing will take place at The Chautauqua Lake Central School Bus Garage, 100 North Erie Street, Mayville, NY.  Dates and times are as follow:

• Tuesday, May 5, 3 PM – 7 PM
• Thursday, May 7, 11 AM – 3 PM
• Saturday, May 9, 8 AM – 12 PM

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.  If you are an essential worker as described above and you want to be tested for COVID-19, please call 716-753-4491 or 866-604-6789 to pre-register. You will remain in your car during the testing process.  You will be asked to bring your driver’s license/picture ID, employer ID, and insurance card to your appointment.  Further instructions will be given when preregistering.

These clinics are being conducted through the Chautauqua County Health Department in conjunction with Chautauqua County Emergency Services.

The newly diagnosed cases include two critically ill, hospitalized patients in New York City and a hospitalized man in Nassau County.

Governor Cuomo also said the number will continue to go up as testing increases, adding that he expected “significant” spread through the public.

As health officials work on addressing the virus and try to develop a vaccine – which could take more than a year – there are still a number of steps that residents can take to minimize the spread of all respiratory illnesses:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Heavily soiled hands should be washed.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands;
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick;
• Stay home when you are sick;
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash;
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces;
• Stay up to date on vaccinations, including influenza.

Locally, the Jamestown Post-Journal is reporting that the novel coronavirus has led the city of Jamestown, Chautauqua County and Jamestown Public Schools to create a pandemic task force.

Mayor Eddie Sundquist says the Chautauqua County Department of Health and Human Services, Chautauqua County Emergency Services department, city officials and Jamestown Superintendent Bret Apthorpe have collaborated to form the task force.

The idea for the task force was created when Apthorpe was creating a plan for the school district and reached out to city officials about coordinating services.

Sundquist said the newly created group doesn’t have a name and its members have yet to be selected.

According to a media release from the sheriff’s office, deputies received a report of a 2-year-old male child missing from the back yard of his home on Route 5 in Silver Creek.

The child’s mother last saw him on the back deck of their home, but when she stepped away to put clothes in the dryer, the child was gone when she returned.

The child’s mother searched her yard and home without success, and then called 911. Sheriff’s Deputies responded and established a command post.  New York State Police Troopers responded and assisted deputies with searching the home, yard, and vehicles to ensure the child wasn’t hiding. Sheriff K-9 Bentley began an area search. The railroad was contacted to slow train traffic behind the home and deputies started interviewing neighbors. Starflight helicopter responded and started an aerial search at the home and worked out from there.

Chautauqua County Emergency Services was also contacted and coordinated the Fire Service response which included Sheridan FD, Silver Creek FD, Sunset Bay FD , Forestville FD, Cassadaga FD, East Dunkirk FD, Evans Center FD, Chautauqua Area Search Team, and Chautauqua County Fire Police. Sheriff’s K-9 Drake joined the search.

Fire Department members began searching the railroad tracks while the K-9 and helicopter searches were underway.

Just prior to starting a massive ground search of the woods, Silver Creek Fire Department personnel searching the tracks, located the 2 year old child south of the tracks in a ravine. He was about 1 1/2 miles from his home. He was uninjured, but frightened. He was reunited with his family within minutes of being located.

Sheriff’s office officials say resources from multiple levels of government and many communities worked together along with neighborhood volunteers, to have a happy outcome.

Additional resources that were responding but cancelled prior to arrival were the County Command 7 vehicle, State Forest Rangers, and a State Police blood hound. The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.

According the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, National Grid was performing service on a substation in Ellery Tuesday morning which led to a failure at that substation and left 1,451 customers without power.

The company had originally expected the outage to last roughly an hour.  However, it was learned it would be much longer as the utility worked to set up a temporary substation. Officials said they expected to have power restored by roughly noon today.

Chautauqua County Emergency Services Director John Griffith mobilized a response plan to assist the residents without power.  Reverse 911 and other forms of contact were utilized to inform residents of the situation.  The American Red Cross set up shelters at the Maple Springs Fire Department and at St. Mary of Lourdes Catholic Church in Mayville to help residents who were without power, due to the cold winter conditions overnight.

Chautauqua County Emergency Services personnel will work in conjunction with local fire and emergency services as well as law-enforcement to keep residents updated and assist wherever needed.

The forest is located on the eastern side of Chautauqua County in the town of Cherry Creek. A report from the sheriff’s office says the discovery was made by hunters around 10:40 a.m. Wednesday.

Authorities are now working to try and determine the identity of the remains.

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Chautauqua County Forensic Team, Lakewood-Busti Police Department, Chautauqua County Emergency Services, NYS Forest Rangers, NYS DEC, and Mercyhurst Forensic Anthropology Team.

According to a media release, deputies were called to a home on Water St. in the village at about noon on Tuesday. Deputies say they tried to establish contact with the subject however the subject refused to exit the residence. After more than six hours, the subject finally exited the home and surrendered to authorities without incident.

The name of the subject is not being released. The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the New York State Police, Chautauqua County Emergency Services, and the Sinclairville Vol. Fire Department.

The activity will provide JCC personnel with an opportunity to learn more about the agencies that would respond to an emergency on campus and to evaluate the college’s emergency response policies and practices.

Joining members of JCC’s administration and staff as participants in the drill will be representatives of the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, Chautauqua County Emergency Services, Chautauqua County fire coordinators, Jamestown Fire Department, Jamestown Police Department, EMS/ALSTAR Ambulance, and Chautauqua County Hazardous Materials.

Regular JCC credit classes will not be disrupted by the drill.

Representatives from JCC’s Cattaraugus County Campus and North County Center will be observing the activity in anticipation of upcoming drills at those locations.

College officials stressed that neighbors of the college should not be alarmed by the sights and sounds of emergency vehicles converging on the college for the exercise which will be focused on the James Avenue side of the campus.

Those participating in the drill have been conducting tabletop drills involving diverse scenarios for several months.

The activity will provide JCC personnel with an opportunity to learn more about the agencies that would respond to an emergency on campus and to evaluate the college’s emergency response policies and practices.

Joining members of JCC’s administration and staff as participants in the drill will be representatives of the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, Chautauqua County Emergency Services, Chautauqua County fire coordinators, Jamestown Fire Department, Jamestown Police Department, EMS/ALSTAR Ambulance, and Chautauqua County Hazardous Materials.

Regular JCC credit classes will not be disrupted by the drill.

College officials stressed that neighbors of the college should not be alarmed by the sights and sounds of emergency vehicles converging on the college for the exercise, which will be focused on the James Avenue side of the campus.