Officials in Windsor Locks and East Windsor Get Ready

Officials in East Windsor and Windsor Locks made preparations Friday to handle whatever conditions Hurricane Irene presents this weekend.

Windsor Locks First Selectman Steven N. Wawruck Jr. said the will be the first location for a shelter. will be the second shelter location if there is a need. All of the town’s generators are gassed up and emergency equipment is ready, he said.

“We’re implementing out own set of protocols in case this becomes the nightmare that is being forecast,” Wawruck said.

The emergency management center will be manned Saturday, the phone number is 860-627-1400 will be available at 3 p.m. Town officials will be having another meeting Saturday. Any emergency information will be released through the town’s reverse 911 calling system and the town’s website, he said.

In East Windsor, officials said the town will accommodate residents by using the located at 125 Main Street, Broad Brook, as a shelter starting at 7 p.m.  Saturday. Emergency management officials will monitoring conditions.

The back up shelter will be at the , 11 Rye Street, Broad Brook, times to be advised.

For further information required, contact the at 860-292-8240.

Theresa Kane, superintendent of , said the schools will be turning off its computer servers during the storm to avoid power spikes that could cause damage. School officials have also conferred with the system’s insurance company about what needs to be done to be prepared.

Kane told board of education members Thursday while schools are not scheduled to open until Wednesday, a convocation for faculty and staff might have to be rescheduled on Monday if Hurricane Irene is as powerful as projected.

“Hopefully we’ll be OK,” Kane said. “If not we have insurance.”

Wayne Sweeney, superintendent of , said Friday whether school will start on Monday was still undetermined. Sweeney met with town officials to discuss the emergency plan for Windsor Locks.

Sweeney said the most important is if he decides to close schools to let the community know at a time when power is still available for the message to get out.  He expects to do that by Saturday evening, he added.