GREENWICH, Conn. – With Hurricane Irene moving up the coast toward Greenwich, the town is preparing to clear trees that may be downed by the storm.

“We’ll be aggressively prepared and ready to go and hopefully it won’t be as bad as is predicted,” said Bruce Spaman, the town’s tree warden. “We have our own crews on hand and we have private contractors lined up to work with us. We’ll be working with the emergency department to make sure the roads are clear and we’ve organized a plan for clearing off the main roads.”

The Department of Parks and Trees is working closely with the Police Department to notify work crews of fallen trees and branches. An emergency command center has been set up on North Street to identify the location of downed trees and dispatch workmen.

If you’re planning to take down any trees before the storm, it may be too late. “We’re now in emergency mode,” said Spaman. “We’ve had people calling to take down trees, but we need to muster forces for the aftermath.”