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Having taken on the roles of fire chief, building inspector and wetland protector for the past three decades, Jim Perry has clearly helped keep Pound Ridge a safer place.
Were just trying to maintain the quality and standard of life in [town], Perry said of his own efforts and those of others.
Perry began his career here at the Pound Ridge Fire Department. He has since taken on the responsibility for building code enforcement, emergency management and a slew of other local duties.
In fact, Perry even helped develop a small civilian volunteer group after Sept. 11, 2001, to help provide food, shelter and firewood during bad storms or major events.
People showed up to the Town Hall wanting to help out, so we put an operation together, he added.
That Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) proved to be pretty useful two years ago when a snowstorm cut electricity to many residents homes.
If people were without power, we made arrangements to bring them firewood, or they could come to town hall where we have a generator, Perry remembered. Since then, the Pound Ridge emergency team has combined on several occasions with similar groups in Bedford and New Canaan, Conn.
But perhaps one of the most important roles this Lewisboro resident plays is in environmental maintenance. Since Pound Ridge gets its water from private wells, a seemingly harmless backyard project could taint the areas drinking water. Perry lends a hand by regularly attending Water Control Commission meetings and listening carefully to neighbors concerns.
Its my jobits a job we take seriously. Its important to me that the drinking water is protected, he added.
Perry stressed that efforts like this and others are not the duties of just one individual but rather the work of many individuals, including firefighters, police, residents and all the other town departments of Pound Ridge.
Im just one guy doing my part and keeping people safe: Its the whole team working together.
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