Golden: Sheriff’s Office Is Ready For Stella

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden announced this afternoon that his Office of Emergency Management division stands ready to assist residents in need during the impending Winter Storm Stella and that officers of the Law Enforcement Division are available to assist municipalities in the event of power outages and with traffic emergencies.

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Sheriff Golden Announces New Storm Evacuation Program: KNOW YOUR ZONE

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden announced the KNOW YOUR ZONE program today in Avon-by-the Sea.

A tiered coastal evacuation plan, KNOW YOUR ZONE, identifies specific coastal evacuation zones  (A, B, C and D) which helps emergency management officials target evacuation orders to those areas that are at the most risk, based upon threat, strength, direction and forecasted storm surge. The public outreach and educational program, Know Your Zone, is designed to educate residents, businesses and visitors on the coastal evacuation zone in which they live, work or vacation.

Not to be confused with flood zones, which are insurance designations and building codes determined by the National Flood Insurance Plan, the tiered system creates 4 distinct evacuations zones A, B, C, & D and will allow for a clearer and more decisive messaging, when evacuations are needed.

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Sheriff’s Office Partners with Team Rubicon on disaster response training

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden announced a partnership with Team Rubicon, a non-profit group of veterans that unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams.

To improve response and recovery of disasters and emergency situations, Team Rubicon along with members of the Monmouth and Ocean County Building Officials Association, attended a training seminar at the Public Safety Center in Freehold on September 21.  The focus was on damage assessment and the utilization of a new software system to record and track the damages caused by a disaster.

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Monmouth Sheriff’s Office, OEM, Seeks $1 Billion In Hazard Mitigation Funding

The Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is awaiting response from the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) Hazard Mitigation Unit after it submitted numerous requests totaling more than 1 billion dollars in funding as a result of Superstorm Sandy. On March 31, 2013, OEM delivered 185 letters of intent to the NJOEM Hazard Mitigation Unit for various mitigation projects, which include home elevations, property acquisitions and flood control measures, as well as various infrastructure improvements and emergency generators for critical infrastructure.

The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) provides grants to states and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration. The purpose of the program is to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to have mitigation measures in place which can be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster. “Monmouth County was severely impacted by Superstorm Sandy, and, the projects submitted by  Monmouth County and each municipality will provide the necessary protection of life and property,  should another disaster occur,” said Sheriff Shaun Golden.

Monmouth County OEM has been collecting the letters of intent from each municipality since mid-December. “These letters are the first step in notifying the state as to the projects for which the municipalities wish to seek funding to mitigate, and, the priorities in which they fall within the respective jurisdictions,” said Michael Oppegaard, Coordinator of the Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management. “We now must wait to hear from the state mitigation office as to how they intend to prioritize and fund these projects.”

Under the Robert T. Stafford Act, HMGP is authorized to direct and govern mitigation projects as long as a community has an approved Hazard Mitigation Plan. Monmouth County’s Plan was completed and approved in 2009 and includes all 53 municipalities within the county. “Hopefully the state will look favorably upon Monmouth County when selecting and prioritizing the projects under this program,” said Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone. “This will allow the residents and communities to rebuild stronger, safer and smarter.”

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Monmouth County asks residents to heed weather warnings

FREEHOLD, NJ – The Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management urges residents to heed the warnings that have been issued in connection with Hurricane Sandy, currently a Category 1 storm.

Freeholder Director John P. Curley reviews plans with OEM Coordinator Mike Oppegaard

Meanwhile, county emergency personnel are continuing to monitor the effects of the storm and respond to the needs of communities. Mandatory evacuations are in effect in all or part of 15 municipalities. Nearly 1,000 residents have sought accommodation at the two county shelters.

“We are expecting Hurricane Sandy to impact the county for at least the next 24 hours,” Mike Oppegaard, Director of the Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management said. “We are hoping that residents have heeded warnings and evacuations and are prepared for the possibility of high winds, power outages and flooding.”

Over the past few days, residents have been encouraged to plan, prepare and stay informed.

“Residents who have created a kit and evacuated to the homes of friends or families or are sheltering in place should be ready to make it through the storm,” Freeholder Director John P. Curley said. “Everyone should continue to monitor local radio and television for the latest information on Hurricane Sandy.”

Oppegaard also reminds residents to be safe with these reminders:

• Do not go outside. Flying debris from high winds is a danger. As the eye of the storm passes, there will be a short period of calm followed by rapid wind speed increases to hurricane force that will come from the opposite direction.
• Avoid using candles for lighting. Use a battery-powered flashlight.
• Try to stay in an interior room away from windows.
• If flooding occurs, turn off electricity at the main breaker.
• If your power goes out, turn off your major appliances. This will minimize losing power again through a power surge and protect the equipment when power returns.
• Stay calm and do not call 9-1-1 unless it is an emergency.

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden echoed the 9-1-1 reminder.

“Calling 9-1-1 for the wrong reason or calling the number inadvertently may keep someone else from getting the help they need,” Golden said. “If you do call by mistake, please stay on the line until the call taker can confirm that you do not require emergency assistance.”

“During severe weather and all other times, residents are reminded to call 9-1-1 only in emergencies that threaten life or property,” Golden said. “These include a fire or serious medical condition, when there is fear for personal safety or the safety of others, or during a crime in progress.”

For more information about emergency preparedness, go to the County website, www.visitmonmouth.nj.us, check the Monmouth County’s Facebook page, or sign up to receive County tweets from Twitter,MonmouthCountyGov.

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Outdoor water ban lifted for some; conservation urged

NJAW customers still under strict non-watering mandate

TINTON FALLS, NJ – The Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management, in consultation with New Jersey American Water (NJAW), lifted the outdoor watering ban today for all non-NJAW customers.

However, the mandatory outdoor watering ban remains in effect for all NJAW customers in order to maintain water pressure and supply throughout the lines as repairs continue.

“Even though the ban has been lifted for many residents, public safety officials urge everyone to continue conserving water,” Freeholder Director John P. Curley said. “We look forward to further progress in the days ahead.”

The state of emergency remains in effect for all NJAW customers. The ongoing water emergency means that:

• Customers of New Jersey American Water are under a mandatory water restriction that bans all outdoor water use and encourages indoor water conservation. It is illegal for NJAW customer to water lawns, shrubs or gardens, fill swimming pools and wash cars;
• All restrictions for non-NJAW customers have been lifted, although conservation is urged.
• New sod or newly seeded lawns and planted shrubs can be watered to an appropriate level;
• Indoor conservation measures include refraining from using washing machines and dishwashers, limiting showering times and flushing toilets less frequently; and
• Commercial businesses that rely on water for their operations are not subject to these restrictions.

Because a state of emergency still exists, law enforcement will continue to enforce the ban for NJAW customers.

“Monmouth County residents should be commended for their cooperation and support during this critical time,” Sheriff Shaun Golden said. “Their efforts helped improve the situation enough to remove some of the bans that had been put in place.”   

The emergency was created by the collapse of three large water pipes June 29 at the water company’s water treatment plant at Swimming River Reservoir.

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