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FIRC, Local Organizations Team Up On Long-Term Recovery Efforts

EATONTOWN, N.J. – The process of recovering from a disaster begins almost as soon as the threat has passed and responders have arrived. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people will need help immediately as well as for the foreseeable future. Non-governmental volunteer groups, churches and faith-based organizations are often among the first to step in and help, but also have limited resources to sustain their presence.

In 13 New Jersey counties affected by Hurricane Sandy, many of these organizations came together to form long-term recovery groups (LTRGs), and Federal Disaster Recovery Coordination (FDRC; regionally referred to as Federal Interagency Regional Coordination) connects these groups to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA Voluntary Agency Liaisons (VAL) support the LTRGs as they address the unmet needs of individuals that they can help with, in contrast to FIRC’s emphasis on communities as a whole.

While a few groups had come into existence after Hurricane Irene struck in 2011, many LTRGs were formed in the immediate aftermath of Sandy. The VALs assisted in getting some of the groups launched, using the VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) manual and other toolkits to bring representatives together.

There are 14 active groups in New Jersey in 13 counties (Atlantic City has its own group separate from Atlantic County). These long-term recovery groups mainly consist of and represent faith-based and nonprofit organizations that have resources to assist survivors.

“Survivors that are still not back in their homes need things like rental assistance, construction assistance and help filling funding gaps, and members of the LTRGs seek to provide those resources and guidance,” said Susan Zuber, VAL for the New Jersey Sandy Recovery Field Office. She also said that one advantage of having religious organizations involved in the LTRGs is “they can reach up to the national level and potentially get funds and resources.”

Along with investigating the issues communities are facing during recovery, FIRC coordinates information and resources to affected survivors, so they can determine where help is available.

“The LTRG disaster case managers strive to make sure various resources get to the people they know need help, and FIRC helps them ensure that there is no duplication of benefits,” Zuber said. “We assist in being the best stewards possible of limited available funds.”

FIRC VAL Lori Ross says that nearly two years after Sandy struck, the LTRGs are still actively helping survivors with some serious issues.

“New Jersey 211 (the state’s resource hotline) is receiving (an average of) 44 new referrals for help every week,” she said. “The Ocean and Monmouth county groups have started receiving requests for rental assistance” as people who had been renting properties while their homes were repaired or rebuilt are in need of more money to pay their rent and mortgage, she added. Mold in homes that wasn’t dealt with properly initially continues to be an issue.

Not all of the problems survivors are facing are of a physical nature, either.

“We’re also seeing more cases where people are asking for mental and emotional assistance,” Zuber said. “We’re getting requests for clergy and mental health treatment. There’s a real emotional and spiritual care element as it relates to the impact of the storm.”

Ross added that even caregivers and case workers are feeling the pressure of what is now a two-year process. “This (the anniversary) is a very critical time,” she said, noting that requests for this type of aid increased at this time last year as well.

Rebuilding after a disaster the magnitude of Hurricane Sandy takes years. FEMA, the FIRC, and the long-term recovery groups of New Jersey are using coordinated teamwork and resources to help people put their lives back together.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/fema, www.fema.gov/blog, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.”

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FIRC, Local Organizations Team Up On Long-Term Recovery Efforts

Two Years After Sandy, Most Of New Jersey’s Boardwalks Rebuilt

EATONTOWN, N.J. – Many of the boardwalks in New Jersey that were damaged or destroyed during Hurricane Sandy have been successfully rebuilt in the two years that have passed since the storm.

Construction in most shore towns began as soon as it was feasible, and the boardwalks were complete and open for the start of the summer tourism season. Spring Lake used a composite material to rebuild its boardwalk, while Sea Girt used recycled boards for part of its repairs. Atlantic City repaired the damaged northern section of its boardwalk with ipe wood and is upgrading access ramps and adding more lighting.

One exception was Long Branch, where city officials waited to rebuild until they could secure federal funds, including assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which obligated $79 million for 84 Sandy-related boardwalk and beach restoration projects.

In January 2014, Long Branch received $14.5 million from FEMA to repair an approximately 1-mile section of boardwalk and bluffs. The project is expected to be completed in 2015.

The bluffs will serve as the support system for the boardwalk and new roadway from Melrose Place south to Brighton Avenue. They will be repaired with a new concrete foundation, 95,740 cubic yards of additional material, and 11,489 square yards of dune grass.

Plans call for 69,850 square feet of the boardwalk to be demolished and rebuilt. New lights, railings, and ramps will be installed from the boardwalk to the beach.

In October, the Long Branch City Council introduced a $30.4 million bond ordinance that includes $18.1 million for repairs to the boardwalk and bluff. The council anticipates that FEMA will reimburse the city for the cost of the boardwalk repairs and bluff construction, which Business Administrator Howard Woolley Jr. said could begin in the spring of 2015.

Belmar took the opposite approach, rebuilding its boardwalk first, and then working on a design for protective dunes. Belmar reopened its boardwalk in May 2013 before announcing plans for new dunes. The dunes will be sturdy, with 30-foot-long pieces of steel driven into the sand to a depth of 26 feet so the bulkhead stands out approximately 4 feet. The steel infrastructure will be covered with sand and plants will be added so that it looks like a natural dune. The $6 million dunes will shield the $8 million boardwalk from future hurricanes.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.”

Two Years After Sandy, Most Of New Jersey’s Boardwalks Rebuilt

Hurricane Sandy: After Two Years, $6.67 Billion, FEMA Continues N.J. Recovery

EATONTOWN, N.J. – Since Hurricane Sandy made landfall Oct. 29, 2012, FEMA, in partnership with the federal family and state and local governments, has been on the scene helping individuals, government entities and eligible non-profits as New Jersey recovers from the storm’s devastation.

FEMA has funded more than 5,185 Public Assistance projects including repairing and restoring hospitals, schools, waterways, parks, beaches, marinas, water treatment plants and public buildings. A roster of services has been restored, including utilities critical to everyday life. Billions of federal dollars have been expended during the past two years. The numbers below tell the story. In the two years since Hurricane Sandy devastated New Jersey:

$6.67 billion has been provided to the state of New Jersey for Hurricane Sandy Recovery.

$422.9 million has been distributed to help survivors get back on their feet via temporary housing assistance, disaster

unemployment and other needs assistance.

$3.5 billion has been paid to policyholders for flood claims through FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program.

$1.5 billion in Public Assistance funds has been obligated to communities and certain non-profit organizations for debris

removal, emergency work and permanent work.

$279.5 million in grants has been provided for projects to protect damaged facilities against future disasters.

$123.9 million in funding for property acquisitions, elevation and planning updates has been paid to New Jersey communities

through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

$847.7 million has been approved by the Small Business Administration for SBA disaster loans to 10,726 individuals and

1,718 small businesses.

To learn more about FEMA Public Assistance in New Jersey visit: fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit and http://www.state.nj.us/njoem/plan/public-assist.html. For more information, visit http://www.fema.gov/sandy-recovery-office or the New Jersey Sandy Recovery website at http://www.fema.gov/new-jersey-sandy-recovery-0

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Hurricane Sandy: After Two Years, $6.67 Billion, FEMA Continues N.J. Recovery

FEMA Housing Team Concludes Successful Mission in New Jersey

EATONTOWN, N.J. — Nearly two years after Hurricane Sandy, FEMA officials marked the conclusion of their housing mission in New Jersey.

On September 11, 2014, FEMA returned the last of the Fort Monmouth properties that have housed displaced survivors of Hurricane Sandy since December of 2012. All of the 115 families who occupied the apartments and duplexes on the main post and in the Megill Commons area in Tinton Falls had either returned to their own homes or found a suitable housing alternative.

FEMA, the Governor’s Office of Recovery and Rebuilding, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), and long term recovery groups worked diligently to provide one-on-one assistance to help individuals and families who lived in FEMA direct housing to move back home or find temporary housing.

Additionally, DCA staff actively worked with those families who have received rebuilding funds through the DCA’s Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation (RREM) Program to ensure that they were moving through the program as efficiently as possible. The goal was to make sure everyone still living in FEMA direct housing were able to either return home or had temporary housing in place before the August 31, 2014, deadline that FEMA had set on closing out its direct housing program in New Jersey.

Under the Stafford Act approved by Congress, FEMA is authorized to provide direct housing to disaster survivors for up to 18 months following the date of a declared disaster. During that period, households participating in the housing program pay no rent or other fees.

The 18-month period expired on April 30, 2014. At the request of Governor Christie, the federal government granted a four-month extension of the housing program.

Starting May 1, 2014, the households who remained in FEMA-provided units were required to begin paying rent at the fair market rate for the region as determined by the federal Housing and Urban Development Agency. Those households who could not afford to do so were able to submit documentation of assets and expenses in order to qualify for a reduced rental payment.

In addition to those families housed at Fort Monmouth, FEMA also provided 89 mobile housing units for eligible applicants in New Jersey. With the exception of one mobile home that was placed on private property, the units were installed in 10 commercial mobile home parks in the state’s hardest-hit counties All of the residents of the mobile housing units have also either returned to their own homes or found suitable alternate accommodations.

Each household faced individual challenges that often required creative problem-solving. FEMA caseworkers met with each on a regular basis for assistance in developing a suitable long term housing plan. State agencies collaborated with FEMA as well as community and faith-based charities to help secure housing for the families. FEMA, DCA, long term recovery groups, the NJ Department of Human Services, Catholic Charities, the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance and the NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency regularly held meetings for months to discuss the individual cases of people who were living in FEMA direct housing, to pool resources to triage cases and to identify temporary housing solutions. On a number of occasions, these individuals and families were driven to look at rental opportunities and meet with landlords to see if the housing unit met their needs.

“It’s very important to have good, strong, compassionate people,” to assist survivors experiencing some of the most trying periods of their lives, noted FEMA Individual Assistance Branch Director Annette Monet.

In some cases, age, illness, financial concerns or family size complicated the task of finding appropriate housing.

With extraordinary efforts and advocacy by the housing team on behalf of survivors, however, all the families were eventually able to secure alternative housing or return to their own homes.

“It took a bunch of very experienced people working together who were very knowledgeable about how things should work to find solutions for all of our families,” noted Monet. “They put all of their ideas together and worked as a team. That’s what you need when it gets down to helping the families help themselves.”

The leasing of the units at the former military base marked an unusual chapter in the history of FEMA’s housing program.

Mayor Gerald Tarantolo of Eatontown was among those who championed the idea of housing survivors displaced by the storm at the former army base. Tarantolo contacted the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority to inquire as to whether that would be feasible. The state Economic Development Authority oversees FMERA.

With FMERA support, the Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management began discussions with the Army and FEMA, which would fund the lease, and an agreement was formulated.

After four weeks of renovations FEMA contracted with the Army Corps of Engineers, move-ins at two buildings on the main post and in larger units in the Megill Commons area of the fort began on December 21, 2012.

On September 16, 2014, the Chief of Staff for the Sandy Recovery Office Chris Hartnett and Carl Kahn of the FEMA acquisitions team presented Lt. Col. John Occhipinti, site manager for Fort Monmouth, with a certificate of appreciation for all his efforts on behalf of Sandy survivors housed at the fort.

In addition to the Direct Housing Mission, FEMA also provided $189 million in Rental Assistance payments to eligible applicants who were displaced by Hurricane Sandy. FEMA also provided 19,321 households with funds for repairs totaling $172.7 million.

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, FEMA provided more than 5,500 families with short-term accommodations in 435 hotels and motels around the state through its Transitional Sheltering Assistance program. The program provided 253,425 room nights for displaced survivors at a cost of $34 million. The TSA program ended on April 30, 2013.

The Rental Assistance program ended April 30, 2014.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.”

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FEMA Housing Team Concludes Successful Mission in New Jersey

Former Readington Firefighter Jeffrey Scheurer To Be Honored at Sunday’s National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service

EMMITSBURG, MD. — Jeffrey Scheurer of Flemington, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, will be one of 107 fallen firefighters to be honored at the 2014 National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service on Sunday, October 12.

The service will take place at 10 a.m. at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Md. Scheuerer, 35, a member of the New Jersey State Forest Fire Service, was on duty conducting a controlled burn along Route 629 near Round Valley Reservoir in Clinton Township when he was struck by a vehicle and killed.

Mr. Scheurer was also a 21-year member of the Readington Volunteer Fire Company, in which he had served since he was a teenager. Further information about Mr. Scheurer can be found on the Fallen Firefighter Honor Roll at http://www.firehero.org/fallen-firefighter/jeffrey-scheuerer/

His name will be added to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial on the Academy grounds. The national tribute is sponsored by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) and the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Fire Administration.

More than 5,000 people, including members of Congress, Administration officials and other dignitaries, members of the fire service, and families and friends of the fallen firefighters are expected to attend.

Families of the fallen heroes will receive memorial flags flown over the U. S. Capitol and the National Memorial. Members of the fire service, honor guard units and pipe and drum units from across the U.S. will participate in this national tribute.

Mr. Scheurer was one of two New Jersey firefighters who lost their lives in 2013. Hightstown Fire Police Lieutenant David C. Lidke, 51, of Hightstown Engine Company No. 1 died after returning from an emergency call on December 23, 2013.

The annual tribute for fallen firefighters is sponsored by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s U.S. Fire Administration.

The event is open to the public. Live streaming information—including satellite coordinates—is available at http://media.firehero.org. The media contact is Tom Olshanski at 202-400-0029 or Thomas.Olshanski@fema.dhs.gov.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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Former Readington Firefighter Jeffrey Scheurer To Be Honored at Sunday’s National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service

Volunteers Can Give Sandy-Stricken Towns, Taxpayers a Break

EATONTOWN, N.J. — After Hurricane Sandy struck New Jersey in October 2012, thousands of volunteers from across the nation came to the state to help affected shore towns.

That help was sorely needed and greatly appreciated by residents of these stricken communities. But the volunteers’ work had an additional benefit – these municipalities can receive credit for the hours put in by volunteers that translates into dollars saved on the costs of recovery – and that credit can be substantial.

FEMA reimburses municipalities as much as 90 percent of the cost associated with disaster recovery projects including debris removal, repair, and reconstruction of public facilities. The communities are responsible for the remainder. However, they can apply the volunteer hours/cost of labor to their share of the overall project cost, which can lead to substantial savings for taxpayers.

Enacted in 2007 and revised in February 2014, FEMA Disaster Assistance Policy 9525.2 allows towns to offset their share of eligible costs with volunteered and donated resources, provided that they keep records of volunteers’ hours worked and duties performed and equivalent information for equipment and materials.

Eighty-seven percent of New Jersey’s non-police public safety workers (firefighters, EMTs, paramedics) are volunteers, the highest rate in the United States.

More than 250,000 volunteers came to the Jersey Shore to help towns and residents clean up, saving the state over 64 million dollars through their volunteer labor.

They fought fires, distributed meals to displaced survivors, set up and staffed emergency shelters, removed debris, prepared and dropped sand bags, and performed search-and-rescue operations and safety inspections, among other duties. They have contributed more than 2.5 million man-hours statewide.

To calculate what the volunteered labor and equipment would have cost, FEMA consulted with the New Jersey Department of Labor to determine the market value for jobs performed on site, including volunteer equipment operators. Donated equipment was valued according to FEMA’s “Schedule of Equipment Rates” unless it is included in a reimbursed equipment rate, in which case it does not count toward the credit. The cost of materials such as sand, dirt, rocks and other materials used to fight floods was set at the commercial rate at the time the work was done. The total amount of expenses for the project is multiplied by .111, which is the percentage of the non-Federal cost share (10 percent) divided by the Federal cost share percentage (90 percent), to get the maximum credit allowed for donated resources.

The credit is deducted from each town’s out-of-pocket obligation after its bills have been paid off and/or mitigated. At present, Union Beach is expecting a credit of approximately $700,000 for volunteer work and donated supplies, a number that will increase if more records are turned in. It is anticipated that Union Beach’s final credit amount will completely cover its 10 percent share of storm-related costs, which could total approximately $9 million. Sea Bright is currently eligible for a credit of more than $450,000. Lakewood Township has been approved for $31,000 of a potential $165,000, while Keyport is eligible for up to $158,000 and has been obligated for more than $21,000 in credits for volunteer efforts.

The policy puts the responsibility on the municipalities to keep track of the volunteer resources used, and those volunteer contributions must be carefully documented. FEMA has its own tracking forms and instructions, and the Volunteer and Donations Management Support Annex provides federal support and recommendations to state, tribal and local governments for managing donated resources.

There are restrictions on what work qualifies for the credit. All work eligible for credit must be done on public property or must benefit the public in some tangible manner, such as distributing food and supplies. Work done for private homeowners is not eligible. For emergency services, only response time is eligible for reimbursement. Donations from other federal agencies cannot be applied.

Also, the amount credited cannot exceed the 10 percent of the incident’s cost that the applicant is responsible for. Any excess credit can only be applied to other emergency projects being handled by that applicant.

Volunteers are still coming to the Jersey Shore to help with relief efforts. The work and time they put in helps restore those communities in more ways than one.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.”

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Volunteers Can Give Sandy-Stricken Towns, Taxpayers a Break

Pagers, Radios Awarded To Ambulance Company in Schuyler, NY – Federal Grant Adds Communications Gear and Replaces Borrowed Equipment

New York, NY — Currently, the 25 members of Herkimer County’s volunteer Schuyler Ambulance Inc. learn of and respond to an emergency by means of five pagers and two portable radios, all borrowed from the Schuyler Volunteer Fire Company. In addition, should dispatched members need to contact the county dispatch center or a hospital they must use personal cell phones or the single mobile radio phone in the ambulance, creating uneven reliability in their communications, as well as frequently interrupting patient care.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, however, has awarded the ambulance company a grant of $10,328.00 to purchase 15 pagers and four portable radios to enhance the ambulance company’s communications.

The award’s announcement was made at here today at Region II of FEMA, which administers the AFG program, by Dale Mc Shine, Director of the region’s Grants Division. The local contribution to the grant was $543.00.

“The grant obviously adds a good deal to our communications efficiency, which has a direct impact on the health and well-being of our patients and we’re grateful for it,” said Anthony Pagliaro, the ambulance company’s Emergency Medical Services Director. He pointed out also that the new pagers and radios will be “P-25 compliant,” which means that they will use less bandwidth and put them in line with the FCC’s narrow-banding requirement, while increasing interoperability with other agencies.”

“It also strengthens the company’s self-sufficiency,” he was quick to add, “because this new equipment will be our own. Borrowing radios and pagers from our fire company makes us dependent and leaves them with no pagers or spare radios if one of theirs goes out of service.”

The primary operating area for the ambulance company is the town of Schuyler, which has a population of some 3,500. Mutual aid agreements extend to other townships and parts of Utica, in Oneida County, expanding the ambulance company’s total responsibility to a population to roughly 40,000. Schuyler Ambulance Inc. has been successfully recruiting new members, and has added ten new members with higher levels of medical proficiency, bringing the total to 25 volunteers.

“Solid communications are at the heart of emergency response,” FEMA’s McShine said, “and this grant highlights the AFG’s role in building and maintaining that capability.”

Mr. Pagliaro said that the new radios will be issued to the company Emergency Medical Services Director and the Assistant Director of Operations for their use. The other two radios will be kept inside the ambulance itself for use by the crew. The pagers will be given to the crew, most of whom will be able to take them home. “That will virtually eliminate the need to use personal cell phones on duty,” he added.

FEMA’s AFG program has been aiding firefighters and other first responders since 2001. “The program provides critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards,” said Tania Hedlund, FEMA’s Grants Branch Chief. In 2012, the AFG provided funding of $25,340,000 for FEMA’s Region II (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands).

For further information, please contact William H. Douglass at FEMA: 212-680-3665 or 917-561-3223.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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Pagers, Radios Awarded To Ambulance Company in Schuyler, NY – Federal Grant Adds Communications Gear and Replaces Borrowed Equipment

Volunteer Fire Company in Rural NJ To Get New Turnout Gear

25 Firefighters on Duty 24/7 Year-Round in 50-Square-Mile District

New York, NY — “Eighty-four percent of our members have gear that is ten years old and the other 16 percent have no gear at all and are unable to receive training,” is the way Joseph Sterling, Captain of the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company, described the condition of his department’s personal protective equipment.

An Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) to the fire company, however, reversed all that, providing the company with 25 sets of what is also called turnout gear, along with 25 face masks. Also president of the Board of Fire Commissioners, Captain Sterling said, “We’re excited, and relieved, with this grant. It saves the taxpayers money and takes a lot of pressure off the commissioners.” The federal share of the grant amounts to $75,644; the local share is $3,981.

The announcement of the grant was made here today by Dale McShine, Director of Grants for Region II of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which administers the AFG program. “FEMA offers these grants to fire companies large and small throughout our region,” she said. “We are keenly aware of how important safety is to all firefighters, and we are very pleased to take part in this program.”

The grant covers 25 complete sets of coats, pants, helmets, gloves, boots, and vests. It also includes funding for the same number of face masks, the current shortage of which produces additional safety problems. “The only masks we now have,” the captain explained, “are not assigned to individuals and are on our truck for anyone to grab. This causes dangerous confusion on the job as members scramble to find the right size mask. This AFG funding will allow each of our members to be properly outfitted with the appropriate mask size, which is a big safety plus,” he added.

“Our fire district is pretty large, covering 50 square miles in Maurice River Township New Jersey,” Captain Sterling pointed out. We’ve got a permanent population of some 4,725 residents, which swells by literally thousands of travelers headed for Cape May, Stone Harbor, Wildwood, and Ocean City during the summer.” The district also covers two Corrections Department facilities, a food market and fueling station, three boat yards, a refrigeration repair business, a municipal building, a senior-citizen complex, an Office of Emergency Management, and a post office.

Captain Sterling was very pleased with the role FEMA played in the grant application phase. “FEMA was a major help,” he recalled, saying that FEMA personnel “walked us through the entire paperwork procedure. We really appreciated that.”

For further information, please contact William H. Douglass at FEMA: 212-680-3665 or 917-561-3223.

Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/fema, www.fema.gov/blog,and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.”

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Volunteer Fire Company in Rural NJ To Get New Turnout Gear

Grant to Secaucus, NJ Provides Town’s Firefighters with Modern, Compliant Equipment

Federal Funding Also Offers Upgrades in Training

New York, NY — An award from the federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program will outfit 46 volunteer firefighters in Secaucus, New Jersey with personal protective equipment, in addition to funding advanced firefighter training.

The new equipment, which includes coats, pants, boots, gloves, suspenders, helmets, hoods, and facial shields, will replace 10- to 14-year old gear that has become too worn or damaged to offer the required level of safety for the town’s 90 volunteer first responders. The new gear complies with the standards of both the National Fire Protection Association and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The federal grant will also fund training for 55 volunteers to achieve Firefighter II status, through a course providing them with sufficient knowledge and skill to function in an emergency without direct supervision and to be capable of making on-duty decisions.

The federal grant comes to $132,027, with the applicant’s share amounting to $6,948.

The announcement was made here today by Ms. Dale McShine, Director of Grants for Region II of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which administers the AFG program.

“This grant is truly a lifesaver,” said Michael Gonnelli, the mayor of Secaucus, who is also the town’s former fire chief and serves with the department’s volunteers. “Secaucus is one of the last fully volunteer fire departments in Hudson County,” he added, emphasizing that “firefighter safety is our primary aim. The additional training covered in this grant follows the same path.”

The Town of Secaucus, with a population of roughly 18,500 – which grows by some 100,000 during work hours – responds annually to an average of 700 incidents, ranging from those taking place in 25-story structures, 300,000 square-foot warehouses, and marsh fires to single family homes. These responses include fire suppression, hazardous materials, extrications, technical rescue, structure-collapse rescue, natural disasters, and emergency medical service.

The Bergen County Fire Academy, adjacent to Hudson County, will offer the Firefighter II course, which, in addition to practical exercises, features lectures, overheads, audiovisual presentations, and a final practical evaluation. The course involves 37 three-hour courses.

“We are very pleased to have been involved in this grant,” FEMA’s Ms. McShine noted. “Our foremost goal of first-responder safety coincides precisely with Mayor Gonnelli’s.”

For further information, please contact William H. Douglass at FEMA: 212-680-3665 or 917-561-3223.

Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/fema, www.fema.gov/blog,and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.”

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Grant to Secaucus, NJ Provides Town’s Firefighters with Modern, Compliant Equipment

Grant to Replace Obsolete Firefighting Equipment in New Jersey’s Upper Deerfield Township

New York, NY, August 7, 2014 – Thirty-six self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBAs) will replace outmoded equipment used by three regional fire companies in Upper Deerfield Township, in New Jersey’s northern Cumberland County, it was announced here today by Ms. Dale McShine, Director of Grants for Region II of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The life-saving equipment will be provided through a grant from the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG), a FEMA program. The federal grant’s value was $243,948; the local share was $12,197.

The townships’ fire companies currently have 39 SCBAs, only three of which meet today’s National Fire Protection Association criteria for use. According to Dave Rogers, Sr., Chief of Fire Co. 3, the new equipment will not only be in line with NFPA requirements but will also increase firefighters’ breathing time to 45 minutes from 30.

Chad Ott, Township Liaison to the fire companies, said that the new SCBAs are equipped, too, with a “dual buddy breath” capability that “enables two firefighters to breathe out of the same cylinder in the event that one of the SCBA devices has a failure allowing the firefighters to exit the building safely. This is a major step forward for the priority of safety.”

Echoing the firefighters’ sentiment about the primary role of safety, James P. Crilley, mayor of Upper Deerfield Township, said “the economic importance of this grant is also considerable.” In this economy, it would have taken us several years or so to put together enough funds to implement this significant contribution to our residents’ and firefighters’safety.”

FEMA’s AFG program has been aiding firefighters and other first responders since 2001. “The program provides critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards, said Tania Hedlund, FEMA’s Grants Branch Chief. In 2012, the AFG provided funding of $25,340,000 for FEMA’s Region II (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands).

For further information, please contact William H. Douglass at FEMA: 212-680-3665 or 917-561-3223.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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Grant to Replace Obsolete Firefighting Equipment in New Jersey’s Upper Deerfield Township

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