UPDATE: Emergency Shelter Available in Braintree, Storm HQ at Police Station

UPDATE 11:05 a.m.: All Highlands residents should put out their trash today if they have not already and it will be picked up, Morin said. A voice message was delivered to residents a short while ago.

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Braintree will open a temporary relief shelter at the Senior Center at 71 Cleveland Ave. today and is also coordinating Hurricane Sandy response measures through a storm center at the police headquarters.

The shelter will open at about noon on Monday, Chief of Staff and Operations Peter Morin said, and will remain open into Monday night and Tuesday as needed. Anyone who is in distress or needs shelter is welcome.

Trash pickup started early on Monday to make sure that all waste that was put out could be gathered, Morin said. Pickup on Tuesday is cancelled and will be shifted toward Saturday such as when there is a holiday.

Morin also said that a number of residents, especially in the Highlands area, did not put out their trash as scheduled on Monday and that there will be arrangements made for those pickups later in the week.

After meeting with the heads of Braintree's public safety departments on Monday morning, Mayor Joseph Sullivan decided to open an emergency response center at the Braintree Police Department that will coordinate all services, including police, fire, DPW, BELD and Fallon Ambulance, Morin said.

Residents should call 911 with emergency storm problems and 211 with more general issues. They will be routed by dispatch to the appropriate agency.

So far there have been no widespread power outages in Braintree, Morin said, and only one report of a large branch down on Liberty Street.

There is also a regional Red Cross shelter open at Weymouth High School.