Welcome!
This is the website for AGREM, Incorporated, also known as Avon Grove Regional Emergency Management. We are an emergency management organization located in Chester County,
Pennsylvania providing support for the boroughs of Avondale and West Grove, and the nearby townships of Penn, New London, Franklin, and London Britain.
We encourage you to review our site to learn more about our organization, and what we do for the area we cover. If you have any questions, or would like to volunteer, or even just attend a meeting or two to see what we're all about, we encourage you to do so.
Our site is also about informing you, the public, about emergency management and both personal and business preparedness for disasters, be they natural or man-made. Given the importance of weather, we have placed critical information and graphics related to weather on our homepage to provide you with quick access to this information. Our weather page has additional information, so we encourage you to visit it as well.
We are a non-profit organization, and our website is frequently changed or updated by volunteers. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause for our visitors, as we strive to provide the most recent information available to you.
Flu Vaccination Clinics
The Chester County Health Department will be providing flu vaccinations at a number of clinic locations throughout Chester County. This year, more than ever, getting a flu shot is very important. While it will not protect you from getting COVID-19, the symptoms of the flu and Covid-19 are very similar. Avoiding the flu helps lower the demand for critical healthcare services.
Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, pre-registration is required along with other precautions. For more information on clinic locations, their dates and times of operation, and to register -- visit the Chester County Health Department Influenza/flu information site.
Announcements / Notices
Heavy Rains Expected - Are you Ready?
Heavy rains are expected to come across our area and nearby locations over the next several days. Remember it only takes 6 inches of moving water to cause a person to fall, 1 foot of water to lose control of your vehicle, and 2 feet to carry a vehicle away. DO NOT drive across a flooded roadway! The water is often deeper or moving faster than it may appear. Many drivers have become trapped and their vehicles swept away with the flow. "Turn Around, Don't Drown®" -- nothing is so important that you should risk your life or the lives of the Emergency Reponders who may be sent to rescue you.
For more information on Floods and Flood Safety, visit Ready.Gov Flood Information or National Weather Service Flood Safety Information.
Driving in Fog or Rain
If it is foggy or raining, you should turn on your headlights so that other drivers can more easily see you. On newer cars, don't rely on the automatic sensor to turn your lights on -- turn them on manually instead.
Also, remember that whenever your windshield wipers are on, your headlights should be on as well.
Be safe during cold weather!
There may be a temptation to use other heat sources to heat your home. Only use sources that are meant for indoor use and be certain to check devices such as space heaters for frayed or damaged power cords. Also make sure the circuits they are plugged into are not overloaded. It is better, and safer, to layer on additional clothing or blankets rather than using a potentially unsafe device.
DO NOT use candles, propane grills or portable stoves, or your kitchen stove as an alternate heat source. Besides not being designed for this purpose, they can easy cause a fire or generate deadly carbon monoxide -- an odorless, colorless gas that can render you unconscious and kill you.
During prolonged cold periods, check frequently on anyone who may be more impacted by the weather, such as those with special needs, or older family members, friends, and neighbors.
For additional information review the Winter Safety Tips from the Ready.Gov website.
Are you prepared for the severe cold?
Winter Storm Handout, Winter Storm Safety.
If you have to be outdoors... During the severe cold, you need to take precautions to prevent frostbite or hypothermia.
- Dress warmly and stay dry; wear hats, gloves or mittens and several layers of clothing.
- Do not ignore shivering. It is an important first sign that the body is losing heat. Confusion and drowsiness are signs of hypothermia; seek medical attention immediately.
- Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and color to the affected skin area. The first signs of frostbite are redness or pain; seek medical attention immediately.
Shoveling Snow: Remember that shoveling snow is more stressful on your heart. Take smaller amounts of snow with your shovel and take frequent breaks. Know the warning signs of a heart attack, and STOP if you experience any of them and call 9-1-1. If you know of someone who may be unable to clear their walk or driveway, please offer to help them if you can. Get a group together to do the work -- it's faster and easier with many hands!
Check on your Neighbors: If you have elderly neighbors, or neighbors with special needs, check on them regularly especially if there is an extended power outage or severe cold weather.
Portable heaters: If you need to use portable heaters for any reason, please remember to keep them away from curtains, furniture, blankets, and other items that could catch on fire if overheated. Do not use extension cords to connect an eletric heater. If you have an indoor kerosene heater, make sure to allow it to cool down before refilling it OUTSIDE. Never refill a hot heater.
Never use a stove or oven to heat your home, or use open flames to thaw frozen pipes. Both of these actions can cause a house fire.
Power Outages: We have the phone numbers for the primary utility companies servicing the Avon Grove area posted on our website (see the sidebar). Write them down next to your home phone or place them on a note on your refrigerator. You should program them into your cell phone to make them easier to locate if necessary. If your utility company offers automatic alerts for outages, make sure you sign up if you have a device capable of receiving those alerts.
Generators: If you need to use a generator, make sure you put it in a location OUTDOORS and AWAY from doors and windows. A generator will create carbon monoxide which will kill you if it accumulates -- It is both odorless and colorless so you won't know there is a problem unless you have CO Detectors in the key living areas in your home. If you or a family member experience confusion, headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, and chest pain, move IMMEDIATELY to FRESH AIR, open doors/windows, Call 9-1-1. NEVER run a generator indoors for any reason. It is meant to be run outdoors only!
Run generators periodically, rather than constantly. This saves on fuel and allows cool-down time so you can refill fuel tanks more safely. Refrigerators and freezers will hold their temperatures if doors are kept closed and only opened when absolutely necessary.
Are you Ready? Is your family Ready? Are you Getting Important Alerts?
Have you signed up for ReadyCheso yet? You can register to receive important messages from the Chester County Department of Emergency Services and your municipality's Emergency Management Coordinator through this system .
You choose what you want to get notified about, and also how you want to be notified. The system supports use of text, email, or voice alerts. You can chose whatever you prefer, and the order the system uses to notify you.
The recommended alert choices are: your local municipality, weather, and Public Health alerts. You can choose other selections as desired; and can change the entire setup at any time.
For more information and to register, visit the following website: READYChesCo.org.
SMART 911 in Chester County
Smart911 lets you create a private and secure safety profile for your family. The profile can include information you want 9-1-1 operators and first responders to have when you call for an emergency.
In an emergency seconds can save lives. Take a few seconds now to plan ahead at www.smart911.com
Your SMART-911 profile is also available whenever you are travelling or visiting other states that also utilize the SMART 911 system.
Local Information
Listen to AM 1670 on your smartphone, tablet, and computer; in your car, or on a portable emergency radio. Emergency and other community information for the Avon Grove and surrounding areas is broadcast 24x7. AGREM 1670 broadcasts are automatically interrupted whenever the National Weather Service issues any alerts for our area.
Power Outages and Weather
Avon Grove Area Road Information
- E. Nottingham Township: Long-term Closure: Bridge on Saginaw Road is CLOSED to ALL Traffic. The bridge is located between Kings Row Road and Rte 472 . DETOUR ROUTE (East side): Use Saginaw Road east to Rte 896. Turn right on 896 S to the stop-sign at State Road, turn right on State Road, and go west to Route 472. DETOUR ROUTE (West side): Go west to Rte 472, turn left on 472 to State Road. Turn left on State Road and go east to Rte 896. Turn left on Rte 896 North and follow to Saginaw road (on left). Turn onto Saginaw for destinations up to the closure point. The bridge replacement project will be scheduled in 2021.
- New London Township: REDUCED WEIGHT LIMIT on Pennocks Bridge Road between Avondale-New London and State Roads. The weight limit is now a MAXIMUM of 3 tons. Any vehicles, or loads, over 6,000 lbs MUST NOT cross over this bridge!
Other Road Information
Health & Human Services
Volunteer -- Serve our community
Ready.Gov - Public Service Announcement
