Shaheen Visits Storm Damage Sites, Tours Hampstead Fire Department’s New Emergency Operations Center
(Rye, NH) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) toured three sites along Ocean Boulevard (Route 1A) to view storm damage and receive updates from local and state officials on the status of ongoing repairs. Her visit comes after severe storms and flooding in January, in which businesses, homes and infrastructure across New Hampshire’s Seacoast faced catastrophic damage. Shaheen made stops at Rye Harbor, the Bass Beach area in North Hampton and North Beach in Hampton. Photos from today’s events are available here.
“Severe storms in January caused catastrophic damage to businesses, homes and infrastructure across New Hampshire’s Seacoast,” said Senator Shaheen. “Today, I met with state and local officials and stakeholders from Rye, North Hampton, Hampton and Seabrook to tour some of the storm damage sites and learn about rebuilding efforts. As climate change continues to drive extreme weather events, I'll continue to advocate for investments in climate resiliency across New Hampshire and ensure communities have what they need to fully recover from these events.”
Later in the day, Shaheen visited Hampstead Fire Department’s newly constructed Emergency Operation Center (EOC). The development of this center was helped by $200,000 in federal funding that Senator Shaheen, a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, secured for the Town of Hampstead to renovate an existing fire station into a fully interoperable EOC to improve the town’s ability to coordinate information and emergency resources.
“In times of emergency, it's critical that our first responders have the resources necessary to quickly and effectively respond to any emergency,” said Senator Shaheen. “I was glad to see firsthand how the federal funds I secured are helping support the town of Hampstead’s emergency response operations to ensure their first responders can adequately direct and manage emergency incidents in the community.”
As a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, Shaheen has consistently fought to support New Hampshire firefighters. In funding legislation for FY 2023 that was passed by Congress and signed into law, Shaheen secured an additional $370 million for the AFG program. She also included $370 million to the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER) program. In total, the FY 2023 law provides a $20 million increase in funding for firefighters compared with the enacted FY 2022 funding level.
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