North Adams Road Closures for Emergency Response Drill

Print Story | Email Story
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Church Street will be closed from Hodges Cross Road to West Shaft Road on Thursday for an emergency drill at Drury High School. 
 
North Adams Public Schools, in partnership with the Department of Public Safety and Northern Berkshire EMS, will conduct a full-scale, multi-agency emergency coordination drill to advance emergency planning and interagency collaboration.
 
That section of Church Street will be closed starting at 12:30 p.m. and is projected to re-open no later than 4 p.m.
 
Residents are encouraged to avoid the area around Drury High School on Thursday afternoon unless completely necessary. Closed roads will be restricted to local traffic only.
 
The drill will focus on interagency coordination and logistical response following a critical incident. It is designed to improve real-time communication, planning, and operational response between agencies during extended emergency situations.
 
No students will be present at Drury High School during the drill. The event has been scheduled outside of the school year to avoid disruption and ensure safety.
 
The drill will take place throughout the day and include simulated emergencies, scene management activities, and coordinated agency protocols. 
 
While not open to the public, residents may notice an increased presence of emergency vehicles in the vicinity.
 
Questions or concerns may be directed to the Public Safety Business Manager Meghan DeLuca at 413-662- 3101 or mdeluca@northadams-ma.gov or Police Chief Mark Bailey at 413-664-4945 or chiefbailey@northadams-ma.gov.

Tags: emergency,   emergency drill,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

North Adams Council Looks to AG for Assurances on Federal Grant

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — City officials want to know if the attorney general will defend them if they refuse to abide by certain provisions in a federal grant for the Police Department. 
 
The City Council on Tuesday voted to postpone action until Nov. 10 on a fiscal year 2025 Edward Bernard Memorial Justice Assistant Grant after an hour of debate and hearing from more than a half-dozen audience members in opposition.  
 
"Let's take all the time that we have. Let's wait for them to actually do their due diligence and fight these provisions and, hopefully, win, and then it's not a problem at all, and everybody's happy, and we take care of it," said Council President Ashley Shade. "And if they don't get the provisions out, let's make sure that they're willing to defend us if we accept it. And if they are, let's fight them. Let's fight them on this."
 
The U.S. Department of Justice grant for $14,231 is to update the department's overstuffed evidence room to aid its accreditation process. But new requirements within the contract about active or passive cooperation with federal agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, have raised fears within the council and community. 
 
Mayor Jennifer Macksey and Police Chief Mark Bailey had explained the need for an evidence room two weeks ago and assured that Police Department didn't deal with civil matters like immigration, but the council rejected the grant. Shade motioned for it be reconsidered for discussion, which passed. 
 
Audience members spoke out in opposition to accepting the grant, often to applause. 
 
"We cannot trust that they aren't attaching strings that we think, in good faith, could not happen," said Sarah Farnsworth from North Adams. "That they could not make us do things that we are protected from in the Constitution. And we have seen over and over that somehow that manages to happen."
 
View Full Story

More North Adams Stories