caption, page 1:

Putnam firefighters stand by during the regional hazmat exercise. More photos on page 4. Linda Lemmon photo.

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UConn fire captain using a test strip to determine what chemical had spilled.
Decontamination
Bringing in a container for the leaking barrel. Courtesy photo.
Left: Putnam firefighters walking away from the trailer where the simulated hazmat spill is taking place.
Right: Official with the acid and base samples.
Mashantucket firefighters get into their safety suits

By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
Yes it was a journey to the top of the hill at WIN Waste Innovations’ Putnam Ash Monofills site in Putnam.
But it was also a journey of discovery for perhaps 50 local, regional and state fire and emergency organizations.
In the planning stages since April, the Regional Emergency Preparedness Exercise on Sept. 25 simulated a hazmat situation at WIN’s metal extraction building. The full-scale training exercise was held by the state  Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), the state Department of Emergency Services (division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and state Commission on Fire Prevention and Control), the town of Putnam, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and several eastern Connecticut local and regional hazardous materials incident response teams including DEMHS Region 4 and the Connecticut Eastern Region Response Integrated Team (CERRIT).
The training was funded by an emergency preparedness grant from the federal Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, funneled through the state Emergency Response Commission, according to Peter Zack, director of the Emergency Response and Spill Prevention Division of DEEP.
Putnam’s Deputy Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Director, Scott E. Belleville (CFEI), said on the whole, the whole-day exercise was well planned and executed. “Great job” said Putnam Mayor Barney Seney. Donald Musial, VP, Ash Monofills, said he said yes immediately when the town contacted him in June looking for a site for this regional exercise.
Belleville said the exercises were “a great eye opener for local first responders.” Local departments may not have been aware of the assets and specialized teams that are available in CT Region 4. And specialized teams that come in may not know how local first responders operate, the demographics of the area or the capabilities of departments in northeastern Connecticut.
He added, “The local fire departments did a phenomenal job staying on task and adapting to the needs of the simulated emergency.” A review will be created to highlight both the positive aspects and the deficiencies, he said.
The scenario was a transportation-related accident involving numerous drums and/or containers which are accidentally ruptured causing a mixture of products and the formation of a vapor cloud. Several workers are exposed requiring rescue and medical treatment. Spill containment and vapor control is required to mitigate the situation, according to Gerry Goudreau, chair of CT SERC.
The first responders worked their way through the steps to secure the location, assess the problem and then execute a containment plan. Communication was paramount the entire time.
Fire departments, some bringing specialized assets, included: Mystic, Mohegan, Community, Mashantucket Pequot, UConn, East Putnam, Putnam, Muddy Brook, Woodstock, West Thompson, Quinebaug, Pomfret, Attawaugan and more. Support included: CT Dept. of Emergency Services and Public Protection, the Connecticut Fire Academy, KB Ambulance, Putnam Ambulance, DEEP Emergency Response, CT National Guard civil support team, CT Region 4 Command and Communications, CT Eastern Regional Response Integrated Team (CERRIT), DEEP Radiation, and more.
Bill Seward, exercise administrator for the fire academy, said halfway up the hill, specialized groups helped in training. One group brought its radiation unit and Mystic brought its training trailer with hazmat tanks. For example, Seward said, one of the tanks on the trailer contains chlorine and fire fighters can learn how to patch a leaking tank.
Belleville said it went well. “The challenges that existed were delegated to specialized groups and remedied fairly quickly. Communications in particular posed a unique challenge as Putnam uses two different dispatch centers for its two local fire departments that use different frequencies.”
Working through all the steps carefully and safely, the first responders determined that sulfuric acid (an acid) spilled out of one barrel and sodium hydroxide (a base) spilled out of the other containers and mixed creating a vapor (dry ice was used). The spill was represented by water on the ground however the small jar at each “spill” was the real deal. First responders used test strips to determine what was in each jar. Then a plan was created to remedy the situation. A massive decontamination area was set up to wash down each participant.
That was a simulation. What about real life?
Belleville said that nearly all businesses have some quantity of hazardous materials. Businesses are required to report, each March, the chemicals they might have, to NECCOG and local officials. “Remember,” said Belleville, “it may only take a small amount of two or more chemicals for a reaction to occur, to create a much larger and dangerous or even fatal problem.”
And if there’s an actual spill? The business calls 911. Local FD is dispatched. Local FD assesses the need for rescue/recovery, type, size and inherent hazards; local FD requests DEEP; local FD may request a regional hazmat team (CERRIT) or may be directed to do so by DEEP; the on-call CERRIT duty officer determines the level of response and other agencies are involved as needed.

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Zach Vlachos heads out of the net after a goal. Photo by Khoi Tan.


When Zach Vlachos was doing his due diligence last year in searching for the right college fit, his club soccer coach suggested doing a postgrad year. That initially fell on deaf ears, but Vlachos started looking into his coach’s suggestions, one of which was Putnam Science Academy.
And Vlachos’ mind went back to a game he played with his club in early 2020 against PSA in a showcase event.
“I remembered almost being in awe, like ‘Wow, these kids are in crazy shape,’” he said recently. “They were able to run all over the field. It was one of the hardest games I had ever played in. And I thought that if I can get like that, there’s no reason not to go there.”
Add in the fact that there weren’t a whole lot of roster spots open at college after the NCAA gave seniors an extra year of eligibility because of the pandemic, and Vlachos’ decision to do a postgrad year, and do it at PSA became a much more lopsided one.
“I think the postgrad year became a real big option for a lot of seniors,” he said. “I know it was the right choice for me, and Putnam has been the right place for me to be.
“I’ve never been this fit during a season. I’ve never done conditioning the way we do here. I don’t like conditioning at all, and I don’t know anyone who does, but it’s good. The amount we do…and the ones where we have to wake up early and run, those are great. It’s hard work just to get out of bed in the morning. And then we get out and are doing sprints…it’s just crazy.”
Vlachos scored a pair of first-half goals Sept. 22 in helping the Mustangs to a chippy 3-0 win over St. Thomas More in their first official match of the season. PSA had played two preseason games and participated in a college showcase, with Vlachos tallying two goals over those games as well.
“He’s a true No. 9, a true striker,” said PSA coach Ryan Dunnigan. “He’s a good finisher in front of the net.”
That’s where both goals came from Wednesday, including one that he headed in off a cross just before a collision with the keeper and the other when he got a through ball from Kel Merckel and beat the keeper one-on-one.
Francisco Ororio scored his first goal in the second half on a ball that went off the keeper and had just enough to roll over the line at the far post.
“I thought we were more disciplined in the second half,” Dunnigan said. “We handled their directness pretty well. Adam (Azman), Carlos (de Silva), and Zeyd (Mrini) did a really good job when we went three in the back.
“A result is a result, which was good. We needed that. We needed a game where maybe we didn’t play up to our standard and we still got the three points. Any game when we’re able to get everyone on the pitch is a good game just for team morale and to keep them motivated going forward. Overall, I thought we played OK.”
As for Vlachos, Dunnigan loves his work ethic and fight. And like it does for so many, that will to win dates back to Vlachos’ younger days.
“As a kid, playing with my older brother, he was always better than me so I would always lose and he would rub it in,” Vlachos said. “I did not like that, so it’s just always been there.”
So too has his love of soccer.
“I started playing when I was 4 or 5 and I’ve loved it the entire time,” he said. “Even now that I’m older, if I’m not in class or doing schoolwork…it’s pretty safe to say I’m never not doing something soccer related. I’m watching highlights of games that happened, or games that are going on, I’m playing FIFA. I just love this game.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy

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Cross Country
The Woodstock Academy girls’ cross-country team celebrates its sixth-place finish at the Ocean State Invitational in West Greenwich, R.I. over the weekend.  Woodstock Academy senior Linsey Arends sports her sixth-place medal. Photos by Josh Welch.

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Arends sets
record in win
at Montville
It was something Linsey Arends was completely oblivious to under well after it happened. The Woodstock Academy senior led the Centaurs to a pair of wins, touring Montville’s 2.6-mile course in 16 minutes, 19 seconds.
“Apparently, that is the course record there. I found out when I got a text from my friend congratulating me. I was like, ‘What record?’ Then, coach (Joe) Banas told me that I had and it was a nice surprise,” she said.
Her first-place effort led the Centaurs to a 19-42 win over host Montville and a 15-50 win over Lyman Memorial. The two victories raised Woodstock Academy’s record to 4-1.
For Arends, establishing the course record was just a little icing on the cake. Her biggest kick is just being able to get out and run again. Last season, she was plagued by an iron deficiency.
It was a much shorter distance than she is accustomed to. A regulation cross-country course is 5 kilometers or 3.2 miles.
“I tried to go out slower but then, I realized that I wasn’t going to be there as long so I might as well just kick for it and give it my all. It felt really short. I got to mile two and it was like, ‘I’m almost done.’” Arends said.
“She did great,” said assistant coach Josh Welch. “She looks much more powerful and everything is hitting in the right place versus last year when she had her struggles. It’s nice to see her coming together and having success. She seems excited about this.”
Lauren Brule finished third overall with Leah Castle fifth and Julia Coyle sixth.
“It was a breakout race for her. It was at or around the fastest pace she has run. It was cool to see that,” Welch said. “Hopefully, it will come around for some of the others. We were down three of our top seven for that meet and, fortunately, because of the efforts of Lauren, Leah and Tessa (Brown), we were able to come out ahead.”
The Centaurs also took part in their first large invitational race in two years, competing in the Ocean State Invitational in W. Greenwich, R.I. this past weekend.
Arends used that enthusiasm to her advantage as she finished sixth overall in 20 minutes, 10 seconds and helped the team place sixth out of 20 in the varsity 1 girls’ competition.
On the boys’ side, Ian Hoffman’s track experience came into play as he captured a first-place finish at Montville.
It was his first cross-country win in only his second meet in the sport. But it didn’t come as easy as coach Peter Lusa thought it had. The Woodstock Academy coach was well away from the finish line and when Hoffman passed him late in the race, he was 50 yards ahead of Montville’s Ranju Iyer.
Hoffman won by one second, finishing in 14:07.
“(Iyer) was pretty much on my tail the whole race and he was even in front of me for a part of it. With about a half-mile left, I sped up and gained a little bit on him but he caught up and the last 400 meters was really close,” Hoffman said.
Fortunately, Hoffman ran the 400-meter in track. The shorter course affected Hoffman in similar ways to Arends, running a different pace.
Hoffman’s finish was aided by a fourth-place finish from Vince Bastura. Seamus Lippy placed fifth and Christian Menounos was sixth overall as the Centaurs downed Montville, 21-38, and Lyman 21-37.
The Centaurs boys are also 4-1 on the season.
The boys’ cross-country team also participated in the Ocean State Invitational and Hoffman placed 43rd in 17 minutes, 51 seconds while Vince Bastura was 76th. The team placed 19th out of 30 teams in the boys’ varsity 1 race.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

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