September 7, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 11 Strengthened OEM led to improved storm response by Jennifer Crusco A strong Ho-Ho-Kus Office of Emergency Management and excellent coordination with Bergen County allowed the borough to weather Hurricane Irene with aplomb, Mayor Thomas Randall said last week. “The storm was within the realm of what we had anticipated,” Mayor Randall said, as recovery efforts continued. The storm led to flooding in the downtown and the loss of power, but Randall reported that most residents had electricity by Tuesday morning, and the situation appeared to be well in hand. “There are still people in other towns who are struggling,” he added. Asked if Irene was worse than Tropical Storm Floyd, which wreaked havoc throughout the area in 1999, Randall said, “I don’t think so.” The mayor pointed out that advances within the office of emergency management led to improved pre-storm preparations. He also pointed out that, during Floyd, the borough had lost communications. This time, the borough was prepared with a back-up system, so contact could be maintained. While Irene left her mark on New Jersey, Randall said the borough’s methodical and coordinated response, which included aid from Bergen County, kept Ho-Ho-Kus in a better position to handle the situations that followed the storm. Earlier this year, two emergency response organizations decided to collaborate to better serve the community. CERT, the municipal Community Emergency Response Teams, and RACES, the Bergen County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service group, have begun working and training together as the Bergen County Emergency Response and Communications Team. Sergeant Barry Leventhal of the Bergen County Office of Emergency Management spearheaded this county-wide collaboration, which is being run by two members of Ho-Ho-Kus CERT. Those members are CERT Manager and Bergen County RACES Deputy/CERT Liaison Stanley Kober and Bergen County RACES Director and Radio Officer Ronald Bosco. Kober explained that when CERT is activated, RACES is also activated, and vice versa. He pointed out that these two groups have complementary skills, which are particularly beneficial when used together. While CERT members are trained for a disaster, RACES members are trained in ham radio operation and the setup of mobile communication sites. Kober noted that Ho-Ho-Kus CERT and the borough’s fire department worked in cooperation to pump out water that had accumulated in several borough homes as the result of Irene’s visit. For the most part, operations ran smoothly, Kober said. However, he did point out that emergency responders did have some difficulties in locating some of the homes of those who had called for assistance. Kober noted that some house numbers are not readily visible. He urged residents to make their house numbers more prominent, as the search for addresses takes time, which can be precious in an emergency situation. Kober also urged residents to heed the warnings of OEM personnel. In particular, he pointed out that some individuals had ignored the barricades that had been put up and did not want to comply with the stormrelated restrictions, such as staying out of the water that had collected in the local roadway. “This is another reason why we need a full complement of police and department of public works personnel,” Kober said. “That is not the place to cut the budget.” The CERT coordinator also expressed his appreciation to Gordon Hamm, a former councilman, who is also a Ho-Ho-Kus Ambulance Corps volunteer. Hamm presented CERT with a second pump, so two inundated locations can be cleared out at the same time. “I was just trying to help out,” Hamm told Villadom TIMES, noting that he had attended several OEM meetings during which members discussed additional equipment that would be helpful. “Stan mentioned he needed an extra pump,” Hamm stated, adding, “He does a great job.” Ho-Ho-Kus Historical Association, Inc., in conjunction with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Washington Elm Post 192 (Ho-Ho-Kus and Ridgewood) will conduct a ceremony in solemn remembrance of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the crash of Historical association, VFW set September 11 memorial Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The ceremony will be held in front of Ho-HoKus Borough Hall at 333 Warren Avenue, on Sunday, Sept. 11, beginning at 8:25 a.m. There is no rain date for this event. Everyone is invited to attend this tenth remembrance ceremony. Fall events (continued from page 9) Bergen County sourcing the majority of its perishable ingredients through Zone 7, the farm fresh distribution service that connects select New Jersey restaurants interested in responsible and sustainable local and regional farmers. “Farm to fork” menus are introduced weekly, based on the season’s bounty. The Ho-Ho-Kus Inn & Tavern, located at One East Franklin Turnpike, is open from 11:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. on weekdays and until 2 a.m. on weekends. Sunday Brunch is served 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For reservations, call (201) 445-4115 or through the Open Table link at http://www.hohokusinn.com. Other fall events will include the Cellar Club, a wine education series on Monday evenings; monthly beer tastings on Wednesday evenings; Oktoberfest; and a dinner benefit for Memorial Sloan Kettering Pediatric Cancer set for Oct. 19.