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Fire 911
Police 911
In an emergency, you will be instructed to tune your radio to the Emergency Alert System (EAS) for information and protective measures. As part of your family's emergency kit, you should have a battery powered radio so that you can receive critical information if there is a power outage.
The Emergency Broadcast stations for New Castle County are:
Primary --- WDEL - AM 1150 KHz | WSTW - FM 93.7 MHz
Secondary --- WJBR - AM 1290 KHz | WJBR - FM 99.5 MHz
The State of Delaware also operates a telephone call-out notification system called the Delaware Emergency Notification System (DENS). DENS places automated calls describing the incident and protective measures to all listed and unlisted land line phones. If you would like to have DENS call your cell phone you must register.
DENS and cell phone sign-up [pdf]
Delaware City is currently developing a comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan for adoption in 2007. The Plan will be an all-hazards plan addressing the City's preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery from emergency events.
Delaware City is vulnerable to coastal storms and flooding. A significant percentage of the town is located within the FEMA defined 100-year flood plain. These areas are noted as Zone AE on the FEMA flood map and are particularly suseptible to flooding. Remember that the 100-year flood does not mean that flooding will occur only every 100 years. It means that in any given year there is a 1% chance of a significant flooding event. For Delaware City, flooding will occur if there is a storm surge or if two or more high tides take place without an intervening ebb tide. This can happen during hurricanes and nor'easters when winds can hold water in the bay. Delaware City's storm of record is the unnamed hurricane of October, 1878 [pdf], during which a storm surge of almost 12' did extensive damage to the Delaware Bay and River coastline. Water was reported to have reached nearly to the second floor of the Delaware City Hotel at the foot of Clinton Street.
In an emergency, Delaware City could be cut off from outside assistance. The City cannot count on State and federal resources arriving for several days. Residents are encouraged to have a family emergency plan and checklist that prepares them to meet basic needs for 72 hours after a storm event. Be sure to have a several day supply of any medications or health supplies you need, such as insulin for diabetes, or oxygen bottles for chronic breathing problems.
The Delaware City refinery and chemical complex uses many hazardous materials. If an incident occurs, tune immediately to the emergency broadcast station for instructions. In most (but not all) incidents you will be instructed to "shelter in place." This means to get indoors, close all doors and windows, and turn off any air conditioning or ventilation system.
Delaware City government and the Delaware City Fire Company are both active in DC-CAER, which stands for Delaware City - Community Awareness and Emergency Response. The informal organization is made up of representatives of all the chemical facilities in the complex, the New Castle County Office of Emergency Management, DEMA, DNREC, Delaware State Police, and DEDO. DC-CAER meets regularly to share information, facilitate emergency planning, and holds annual exercises. In 2006, the exercise was a simulated explosion and fire at the refinery port facility and included the U.S. Coast Guard and the Wilmington fire boat.
Delaware City is within the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone for the Salem - Hope Creek Nuclear Power Plant, at Artificial Island. The plant operates a siren alert system to warn of an incident. Siren tests are conducted on a regular basis.
In certain extreme emergencies an evacuation of the town may be ordered. Residents will be informed by means of the Emergency Alert System or the DENS telephone notification system. The safest route out of town will depend upon the nature of the emergency. As a general rule, storm or flood evacuations will be directed north on Route 9/72 to Route 13 and Route 1. Industrial incident routes will depend upon wind direction, but will probably be Route 9 south toward Port Penn. Salem Nuclear routes will be Cox Neck Road west, or Route 9/72 north.
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