Assemblymen Herb Conaway, Jr, M.D. and Troy Singleton (both D-Burlington) on Wednesday welcomed the news that Burlington County’s emergency management operations will be receiving a boost from the state in the form of a fully-equipped emergency response trailer.
“This trailer will be a huge asset for emergency response personnel in our communities, especially in light of the increasing number of weather-related emergencies we’ve been witnessing,” said Conaway. “The trailers will enable response teams to assist residents more swiftly during a host of different emergencies and for that we’re grateful.”
“Whether it’s a law enforcement-related threat or the ramifications of a severe storm, this equipment will better prepare our towns to serve and protect the community,” said Singleton. “You can’t put a price tag on safety, but in these economically-strained times, it certainly helps to have the federal government lending a hand to protect our residents.”
The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (OEM) today supplied Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) in 15 municipalities with specialized Disaster Response and Flood Response Utility Trailers. The trailer awarded to the 7th legislative district will serve the Riverfront CERT team, which is comprised of Burlington City, Burlington Township and Florence.
The trailers are designed to enhance a community’s emergency response capabilities during times of crisis and assist first responders during flooding events. The trailers, valued at $9,830.00, are funded by the United States Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. They come equipped with a generator, basic medical supplies, lighting equipment, tools, tents and evacuation support equipment.
According to OEM, river-related flooding is the most frequent hazard faced by New Jersey residents, with 1,196 flood events in the past 15 years; and 16 flood-related Presidential Disaster Declarations within the same time period.
During crises, like Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee and the October snowstorm last year, New Jersey CERT volunteers have taken a leadership role in helping their neighbors, staffing emergency operations centers and evacuee shelters, directing the activities of other volunteers, and searching for missing children. New Jersey CERT and Medical Reserve Corps volunteers worked nearly 42,000 hours in response to Hurricane Irene.
New Jersey’s statewide CERT program is comprised of 19,000 volunteers organized into 432 teams.