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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.

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.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

Disaster Awareness Is A Priority For Avalon Mayor, Cape May County OEM

EATONTOWN, N.J — When Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi was promoted to Director of Cape May County’s Emergency Management Communications Center in August 2013, he found himself with two things: another job title, and a problem that most people wouldn’t expect a county surrounded by open water on three sides to have.

“There were no shelters in the county before I took over,” he said.

Pagliughi, who retired from an engineering company as the national industry manager, environmental division, went to work finding space and was able to secure four shelters in two months. Then Hurricane Sandy struck the New Jersey shore.

“We sheltered over 700 people,” he said.

Pagliughi was born in Vineland and has lived in Avalon since 1974. He was first elected to Avalon’s City Council in 1987 before becoming mayor in 1991. He is also the head of Avalon’s Office of Emergency Management, a role he assumed in 2001, making him very familiar with the unique difficulties Cape May County’s geography and demographics represent.

The county is a narrow peninsula with barrier islands, which makes evacuating people more of a challenge.

“We had an ice storm in 2006, and we had over 150 people who wouldn’t evacuate the barrier islands because they didn’t want to leave their pets behind,” he said.

That inspired one of his more ambitious Mayor Pagliughi stands before the emergency pet shelter. Mayor Pagliughi addresses residents in front of the emergency pet shelter. undertakings before Sandy hit. He purchased a 52-foot trailer and had it converted into a mobile animal shelter, which housed 120 pets during the storm, including several birds and a snake. The trailer, which had heat, hot water and food storage for the animals, was parked next to a Red Cross shelter. The trailer cost Avalon $22,000. The borough received $24,000 in donations to pay for it. Cape May County has also purchased two trailers and is converting a third with the help of Cape May County Technical High School students who have made it their class project.

As Sandy made its way toward New Jersey, Pagliughi moved quickly to take preventive measures and prepare for the storm’s aftermath. He secured a debris cleanup contract and a reconstruction contract to repair any damage to government buildings the storm would cause. With those arrangements in place, debris was cleared out of Avalon in three days.

He also created an emergency website for Avalon that integrated reverse 911, allowing residents and other observers to get important, updated information during Hurricane Sandy, as well as photos and live video. During the storm’s pass across New Jersey, the site got 2.4 million hits.

He is now working on a similar site for Cape May County. “People thrive on information,” he said. “The more they have, the better.”

Some of the problems that arose during the storm proved to be far easier to solve than others. When the county’s shelters ran low on food, the Crest Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Cape May Court House prepared 2,300 meals in two days and delivered them via the county’s fare-free bus network.

And even though Cape May County escaped the devastation that Sandy inflicted on other areas of New Jersey, three days passed before the state lifted the evacuation order for the county, causing problems for residents trying to re-enter the county and check on their homes and creating traffic issues when they were allowed to return. Pagliughi believes that municipal OEMs should be able to determine the safety of their own towns.

Pagliughi is already anticipating dealing with future incidents. Last year, the New Jersey National Guard sent four high-wheeled trucks to Cape May County to help with rescue and evacuations. However, a change in Guard policy means the New Jersey Guard will no longer deploy high-wheeled vehicles before a disaster. To compensate, Pagliughi went through the Army Surplus Program and bought 22 of the five-ton trucks, setting six aside as the county fleet and giving the rest to county municipalities.

He knows the county still needs more shelter space. “There’s not a lot of room here to build,” he said.

He has had to learn emergency management on the job, and each incident has added to his understanding of the processes involved in dealing with a disaster.

“We’ve had, I think, 10 disaster declarations since I took over” as the head of Avalon’s OEM, Pagliughi said. “We know the programs. We know how to get reimbursed.”

With Pagliughi’s new-found experience combined with his positions of authority and knowledge of the area, Cape May County can expect to be prepared when the next disaster strikes.

http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4086/updates/sandy-one-year-later

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.

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Disaster Awareness Is A Priority For Avalon Mayor, Cape May County OEM

FEMA Administrator Appoints National Advisory Council Members

Today, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate appointed twelve new members and reappointed two current members to FEMA’s National Advisory Council (NAC).

The NAC is an advisory committee established by federal law to ensure effective and ongoing coordination of federal emergency management activities. Members represent the whole community and include representatives from a wide array of backgrounds and communities involved or affected by the emergency management profession. The NAC consists of up to 35 members.

“FEMA is just one part of our nation’s emergency management team,” FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said. “The National Advisory Council serves a vital role in guiding our plans and strategies by ensuring we remain informed by diverse viewpoints and experiences from every sector of society. I value the expertise and input of each of these members, and appreciate their dedication and commitment to ensuring effective emergency management.”

The NAC provides recommendations to the FEMA Administrator on a variety of issues within emergency management. For example, the NAC recently made recommendations regarding regional response and recovery capabilities as well as regarding mutual aid agreements among different units of government.

FEMA received over 200 applications for the open positions. All applicants were carefully considered through an intensive review process, which included an interagency membership recommendation panel of senior government officials. Most appointments are for three-year terms.

The twelve new NAC members include:

Emergency Management
Samantha Phillips, Director of Emergency Management, City of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Non-Elected Local Government Officials
W. Scott Field, Director, Denver Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (Denver, Colo.)

Standards Setting and Accrediting
Fritz Wilson, Executive Director, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (Cumming, Ga.)

Health Scientists
Gerald Parker, Jr., Vice President of Public Health Preparedness and Response, Texas A&M Health Science Center (Bryan, Texas)

Disabilities
Christopher Littlewood, Project Coordinator, Center for Public Safety Innovation, St. Petersburg College (Seminole, Fla)

Non-Elected Tribal Government Officials
Jeffrey Hansen, Emergency Manager, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (Durant, Okla.)

Elected Tribal Government Officials
James Akerelrea, Tribal Council Member, Scammon Bay Traditional Council and Store Manager, Scammon Bay Askinuk Store (Scammon Bay, Alaska)

Emergency Response Providers
Gerard Dio, Fire Chief, City of Worcester (Worcester, Mass.)

Communications
Christopher Smith, Homeland Security Advisor to the Governor and Emergency Management Director, State of Nevada (Sparks, Nev.)

Infrastructure Protection
Daniel Zarrilli, Director of Resiliency and Acting Director for Long-term planning and sustainability, Office of the Mayor, City of New York (New York, N.Y.)

Administrator Selection
Jeanne-Aimee De Marrais, Senior Director for U.S Emergencies, Save the Children (Westport, Conn.)

Administrator Selection
Meloyde Batten-Mickens, Executive Director of, Facilities, Gallaudet University (Washington, D.C.)

The two reappointed members include:

Administrator Selections
Lee Feldman, City Manager, City of Fort Lauderdale (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

Administrator Selection
Felix (Phil) Zarlengo, Chairman, AARP Board of Directors (Jamestown, R.I.)

In addition, Jerry Demings, Sheriff, Orange County Sheriff’s Office (Orlando, Fla.) was appointed on July 1, 2014 to fill a vacancy in the Elected Local Government Officials position.

Additional information on the National Advisory Council, including a full list of members, is available at www.fema.gov/national-advisory-council.

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FEMA Administrator Appoints National Advisory Council Members

Central NY State Fire Department to Receive Tanker Truck

ew York, NY — The fire district of Watkins Glen, New York is 58 square miles. Only some 20 percent of their area – roughly 12 square miles – is equipped with fire hydrants, posing a major challenge to Chief Smith, the department’s fire chief. “We and our mutual aid partners are heavily dependent upon mobile water to execute our firefighting obligations in this rural response area,” he says.

“On top of that,” he adds, “the equipment we had put together to serve as our tanker truck, starting with a Volvo cab and chassis back in 1986, had become too unsafe in October of last year to continue operating.”

The award of a $285,000 grant, then, from the Assistance to Firefighter Grants, a unit of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to purchase a new tanker truck is of great value to Chief Smith. The local share is $15,000, totaling $300,000 in funding.

The decrepit tanker that stopped working last year could pump 125 gallons per minute. “The new vehicle,” he said, “will be able to pump a minimum of 750 gallons per minute, and give our 50 volunteers the ability to rapidly establish a water supply that will lead to vastly improved firefighting capabilities.” He added that the implications for enhanced saving of lives and homes were “undeniable.”

The Grants Chief of FEMA’s Region II, Dale McShine, announced the Watkins Glen grant here today. “The AFG program has been assisting firefighters and those they serve for more than a decade, and this grant continues to demonstrate the spirit and purpose of the program,” she said.

Watkins Glen Village sits on the edge of Seneca Lake, one of New York’s famous Finger Lakes. The region has a State Park, and offers camping, hiking, boating, wine-tasting, and other festive attractions, drawing numerous summer vacationers. The area is also home to the renowned Watkins Glen International Racetrack that attracts many NASCAR fans. Not surprisingly, the area’s population more than doubles every summer from roughly 10,000 residents.

“This AFG grant naturally increases the effectiveness of Chief Smith’s volunteers in his large fire district,” said R. Mark Swinnerton, Jr., mayor of Watkins Glen Village. Noting that Chief Smith’s department averages more than 700 alarms every year throughout Schuyler County, the mayor said that “this new tanker truck adds formidable strength and reach to the department’s capabilities. We all benefit, residents and visitors alike.”

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 out of FEMA’s Region II office (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands).

For further information, contact William H. Douglass at 212-680-3665/917-561-3223.

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Central NY State Fire Department to Receive Tanker Truck

CRS Awards Presented To Two New Jersey Communities

LINCROFT, N.J. — Two New Jersey municipalities were recognized for reducing their flood hazard risk through the FEMA Community Rating System in awards ceremonies on March 10, 2014.

The ceremony honoring Pompton Lakes was held at 25 Lenox Avenue, the town’s municipal building. Fairfield Township was honored in a separate ceremony at 230 Fairfield Avenue.

The Community Rating System (CRS) is a program administered by FEMA that provides lowerFEMA Natural Hazards Program Specialist Crystal Tramunti and Mitigation Branch Director William McDonnell present Mayor James Gasparini and Administrator Joseph Catenaro with a plaque recognizing Fairfield. insurance premiums under the National Flood Insurance Program. Communities can apply to participate in the CRS, and residents of participating communities pay lower premium reduction rates based on the implementation of floodplain management policies.

Communities earn points toward their rating based on 18 creditable activities in four categories: Public Information, Mapping and Regulations, Flood Damage Reduction and Flood Preparedness. For towns participating in the CRS, flood insurance premium rates are discounted in 5 percent increments. Premium reductions are in the form of CRS Classes, similar to the classifications used for fire insurance.

Councilman Michael Simone and CRS Co-Coordinators Elizabeth Brandsness and Barbara Padula are honored with a plaque recognizing the town of Pompton Lakes.Pompton Lakes is one of 10 New Jersey municipalities (Sea Isle City, Avalon, Beach Haven, Bedminster, Brigantine, Long Beach Township, Longport, Mantoloking, Pompton Lakes and Stafford Township) to achieve Class 5, the highest level of compliance currently achieved in the state. The borough’s participation in CRS has saved residents $308,395 on their insurance premiums. Fairfield Township, in Essex County, is in Class 6. Township residents have saved $499,201.

The highest level of compliance possible in the program is Class 1. The 61 communities participating in the program have saved more than $17 million.

Participating communities have better organized and more formal local flood programs, which can be evaluated against a nationally recognized benchmark. The discounted premiums give communities incentive to maintain its programs. The program also helps to remind residents that their towns are working to protect them from flooding and that their town is becoming more knowledgeable and successful in supporting and improving flood protection measures.
Learn more about the NFIP’s CRS program at http://www.fema.gov/business/nfip/crs.shtm.
Photographs are located at http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/images/92323 and http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/images/92322

For more information on New Jersey’s disaster recovery, visit fema.gov/SandyNJ, twitter.com/FEMASandy, facebook.com/FEMASandy and fema.gov/blog.

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.

Originally posted here –

CRS Awards Presented To Two New Jersey Communities

FEMA Obligates $1.5 Million to Baton Rouge for Hurricane Isaac Recovery

BATON ROUGE, La. – Baton Rouge will receive a $1.5 million federal grant to help the city recover from Hurricane Isaac, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said Wednesday.

The FEMA Public Assistance grant, totaling $1,529,871, helps reimburse the city for equipment and supplies used during the Hurricane Isaac response and recovery. Several departments were involved in the effort, including the airport, police, fire, emergency medical services, public works and the Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness.

“The work of local governments is crucial when disaster strikes,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar. “These FEMA funds help support Baton Rouge’s efforts that protected the health and safety of citizens and city personnel during Hurricane Isaac.”

The grant covers the federal share of the parish’s eligible costs for the work. Under a cost-sharing formula, FEMA reimburses the state for 75 percent of the total costs, while the state and/or applicant pay the remaining 25 percent.

The newly obligated funds are a portion of the nearly $175.7 million in total Public Assistance recovery dollars approved for the state since the Aug. 29, 2012, disaster declaration.

Once FEMA reimburses the state of Louisiana it is the state’s responsibility to manage the funds, which includes making disbursements to local jurisdictions and organizations that incurred costs.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, click www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow FEMA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

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FEMA Obligates $1.5 Million to Baton Rouge for Hurricane Isaac Recovery

Volunteers Are A Vital Resource In The Aftermath Of Sandy

TRENTON, N.J. – When a disaster strikes, volunteers are a vital resource. They represent the compassionate face that brings comfort to disaster survivors and provides for their immediate needs.

“Working together as friends and neighbors is spontaneous after a disaster” said FEMA Volunteer Agency Liaison Manager Ken Skalitzky. “This approach is really what makes a community whole again.”

One group of volunteers recently was recognized when Middletown, N.J. Mayor Anthony P. Fiore presented the Key to the City to Dave Karr, whose volunteer staff from the Southern Baptist Convention, Oklahoma Disaster Relief, prepared more than 1.5 million meals for disaster survivors.

“It was a real honor,” Karr said. “I was told they rarely do this. I accepted on behalf of the whole Oklahoma team.”

Karr’s team and the organization they represent are typical of the volunteers working in New Jersey, both locally and from out of state. More than 100 organizations manage thousands of dedicated volunteers. Here are some of the major organizations and their services:

Adventist Community Services – manages warehouse distribution of supplies for disaster survivors.
Mennonite Disaster Service – doing clean up, repairs, and rebuilding homes.
The Salvation Army – provided Thanksgiving dinner or lunch in several locations throughout the state. The Transitional Sheltering Assistance social services programs connect needs with available resources.
Samaritans Purse – doing muck outs, removing dirt and debris; cleaning up and sanitizing homes to prevent mold.
Southern Baptist Convention/Oklahoma Disaster Relief – 117 volunteers prepared more than 1.5 million meals to date, and is deploying 41 emergency relief vehicles across New Jersey to continue feeding disaster survivors.
The Red Cross – more than 4,000 volunteers assisting with meals, sheltering, essential supplies, and health services.
United Methodist Committee on Relief – volunteers working on “muck outs.”
Catholic Charities – 363 volunteers serving at relief sites offered financial and other material assistance to some 3,000 families. The sites are now closed.

Voluntary Agency Liaison staff at FEMA work with the state umbrella organization, New Jersey Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD). FEMA provides information on the extent

of damage from the disaster to VOAD. The organization then contacts its local partners who provide direct services to disaster survivors.

Disaster assistance is coordinated over the long term by VOAD to make sure everyone who needs help receives help.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

Video of volunteers in action and of Volunteer Agency Liaison Manager Ken Skalitzky are available

for your use at: http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/10552.

For still photos of volunteer activities, go to: http://www.fema.gov/photolibrary/photo_search.do.

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.

Volunteers Are A Vital Resource In The Aftermath Of Sandy

FEMA and Federal Partners Continue to Support Storm Response in Affected States in the Midwest And Mid-Atlantic Regions

Release Date: July 1, 2012
Release Number: HQ-12-054

Individuals in Affected States Urged to Listen to Local Officials and Take Precautions Due to Severe Weather Forecast for the Ohio Valley and Extreme Hot Weather Along the East Coast

WASHINGTON – At the direction of President Obama, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its federal partners continue to work closely with states affected this weekend by severe storms in parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.

Yesterday, the President issued emergency disaster declarations for all counties within the states of West Virginia and Ohio in response to requests from the Governors of those states and directed FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts in those states.

FEMA is strategically positioning supplies closer to impacted areas of West Virginia and Ohio. Emergency generators, needed to supply critical infrastructure such as shelters, and water are positioned in staging areas in Morgantown and Charleston, West Virginia and Columbus, Ohio to support state and local response needs.

In addition, FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center in Washington, D.C., and the Regional Response Coordination Centers in Chicago, Ill., and Philadelphia, Pa., continue to be activated to support state requests for assistance. FEMA has deployed incident management assistance teams and liaison officers to the state emergency operations centers in Ohio and West Virginia. A Mobile Emergency Response Support team and mobile communication office vehicles are en route to West Virginia to provide secure and non-secure voice, video, and information services, operations, and logistics support to state response operations.

FEMA also remains in close contact with our federal partners including the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Army Corps of Engineers and the National Weather Service forecast offices. In coordination with FEMA, DOE has deployed experts to West Virginia and FEMA Headquarters in Washington D.C., and is supporting FEMA’s regional offices in Chicago, Ill., and Philadelphia, Pa. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has deployed personnel to Ohio to support assessments and generator installations for emergency power. The West Virginia National Guard is also actively engaged in a generator mission for emergency power.

Yesterday, the President spoke with the governors of Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia, to express his condolences for the loss of life and his concern for individuals and first responders still confronting the destruction and loss of power that is impacting communities as a result. Over the weekend, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano also spoke with the governors of Maryland, Ohio, and Virginia, and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate spoke with the District of Columbia Deputy Mayor for Public Safety. The President has directed FEMA to ensure that state and local officials in impacted areas have the support necessary to respond to the severe weather events.

“The threat of severe weather and heat continues to be a risk in many affected areas, and we urge individuals to continue to follow the instructions of state and local officials,” said Fugate. “People should monitor conditions and check on family, friends, and neighbors who may be impacted by the heat and loss of power. FEMA continues to stay in close contact with state and local officials on the ground, and is supporting response efforts led by those teams.”

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the potential exists for another round of scattered thunderstorms capable of producing large hail and damaging winds across parts of the Dakotas through the Midwest to the Ohio Valley and Delmarva Sunday night and Monday. This is an evolving situation and weather developments will be constantly monitored. NWS has issued Heat Advisories in many areas that have been affected by the severe weather and may be without power, and urges everyone to take safety precautions due to the high temperatures.

FEMA continues to work closely with our state and local partners in impacted areas to ensure there are no unmet needs as they continue to respond.

For information on the latest Energy situation reports, visit http://www.oe.netl.doe.gov/emergency_sit_rpt.aspx.

More information on severe weather preparedness is available at www.ready.gov, www.listo.gov, and for other languages at www.ready.gov/translations.

Follow FEMA online at 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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Last Modified: Sunday, 01-Jul-2012 14:28:26

Originally posted here:

FEMA and Federal Partners Continue to Support Storm Response in Affected States in the Midwest And Mid-Atlantic Regions

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