Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • December 15, 2010 Franklin Lakes Council hears emergency management overview by Frank J. McMahon The Franklin Lakes Office of Emergency Management recently presented the borough council with an overview of the plans being made in the event a disaster strikes the borough or the area. Christopher Pontrelli, the borough’s emergency management coordinator, provided the overview for the governing body along with Deputy Coordinator Police Lt. Don Osenbruck, resident volunteer Craig Goldman, Captain Dave Kampschmidt of the borough’s ambulance corps, and resident volunteer Nick Pokrovsky. The OEM officials explained that the borough’s emergency operations plan is divided into sections, each of which has a coordinator and deputy coordinator. The plan is continuously updated, Pontrelli said, and exercises are conducted to test the plan’s effectiveness. The emergency management team consists of a small group of dedicated volunteers, Pontrelli explained, and the ability to execute this plan is totally dependent on the recruitment of additional members who can assist if an emergency occurs. Pontrelli said if a disaster were to occur in Franklin Lakes most likely the emergency services of the local police, fire, and ambulance corps members would be overwhelmed and residents who have Community Emergency Response Team training, would be called upon to help. CERT members receive basic training in actions to take before, during, and after a disaster. “CERT training prepares you to take care of your family, your neighbors, and then the community,” Pontrelli said, explaining that CERT classes are offered at the Bergen County Law & Public Safety Institute on Campgaw Road in Mahwah and there is no fee to attend this course. The CERT training consists of disaster preparedness, basic first aid, fire suppression, search and rescue, disaster psychology, and terrorism awareness. Participants become CERT volunteers upon completion of the classes. According to Pontrelli, the functional tasks of the OEM include the coordination and supervision of the notification of an impending or actual disaster with warnings that include house-to-house notification, activating municipal sirens, and the emergency broadcast system; estimating the cost of damage, and declaring structures as unsafe; coordinating emergency operations at police headquarters or the Bender Court firehouse; and the gathering and dissemination of information to the media by the public information officer with the Franklin Lakes Municipal Building Council Chambers serving as a briefing area. The police department would be responsible for the coordination of an evacuation and the Franklin Lakes Fire Department would be the agency responsible during a hazardous materials incident with support agencies, including the Mahwah and Bergen County Hazmat teams. The borough’s department of public works would provide for debris removal and street repair. In the case of a disaster, Ramapo High School would be the primary shelter and the Franklin Lakes schools would be the secondary shelters, while the support agencies would include the American Red Cross and Salvation Army. Mayor Maura DeNicola praised the work of the OEM, explaining that the plan, which has been “honed through hundreds of volunteer hours,” is a plan she hopes will never have to be used. She urged residents to volunteer for CERT training, saying, “If you are interested in taking CERT training or want to offer your expertise or medical experience in a disaster, please contact Lt. 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