Borough of Haworth, New Jersey Mayor John Dean DeRienzo

Fall Newsletter 2006

FROM YOUR MAYOR

"Ernesto"

WHAT ABOUT OUR POWER?

In Haworth we love the beauty all our trees provide. However, at this time of year with a strong wind hitting fully-leafed trees, it has the same effect as wind in a sail.

The aftermath of the storm (Ernesto) is a good time to inform all Haworthians of the procedures in place in case emergencies arise. The Borough of Haworth is required by law to have in place an emergency plan to cover any and all occurrences that could impact us. In Haworth, the Office of Emergency Management is comprised of the following citizens, agencies and OEM Coordinators:

Glenn Poosikian	Coordinator
Ken Kiel (Fire)	Assistant Coordinator
Donna Berman (Ambulance)	Assistant Coordinator
Michael Gracey (Police)	Assistant Coordinator
Al Koeniges	Assistant Coordinator

Emergency Management Council:

Arthur Berman	Council President/Police Commissioner
Patrick O’Dea	Police Chief
Vincent Iacobino	Fire Commissioner
Matthew Carey	Fire Chief
Stephen Chval	Council Liaison to Ambulance Corps
Andrew Reithmayr	Captain Ambulance Corps
Joan Livingston	Council Liaison to DPW
Marty Mahon	DPW Superintendent
Rick Swarthe	Police Auxiliary
Rosemary Smart	President Board of Health
Mayor John Dean DeRienzo	OEM

Beginning on Thursday, August 31st, the State and County OEM traced Ernesto, and provided reports which increased in frequency as Saturday, September 2nd approached. On Friday, September 1st everyone in the OEM met at Borough Hall to make sure our equipment was ready to go and a complete list of volunteers and paid staff was available and that they were on alert to respond where and when needed. When Saturday arrived we thought we might have only a small problem until the storm actually hit. In a matter of hours we had 23 trees and numerous branches fall, most cases taking power lines, telephone and cable wires with them. At the same time we had several electrical fires and numerous home alarm systems activated, as well as main transformers and power grids short out. Our volunteer Fire Department, Ambulance Corps and Police Auxiliary were out immediately in the heavy rain and wind Saturday, staying until Monday morning. The Police and DPW were busy closing and opening streets blocked off by the fallen trees, etc. The Borough Hall and Police Headquarters were used by the OEM Coordinator Glenn Poosikian, the Police Chief and myself to determine which areas lost power and to prioritize response. The first priority was residents needing power due to medical conditions. A list is maintained by the Police; if you are not on the list and need to be, please notify them. The second priority was to bring Rockland Electric and Public Service Electric and Gas crews into Haworth, primarily to indicate which trees and branches could be removed and to determine that they did not have live wires entangled in them. Obviously, until power was off, we could not remove the debris and then re-wire for power.

Many thanks to our volunteer organizations, Ambulance Corps, Fire Department and Police Auxiliary for the many hours they spent in the rain, wind, etc. Our Police Department and DPW worked hand in hand to get our streets opened and remove branches and trees so that power could be restored. Throughout Ernesto both Rockland Electric and PSE&G personnel worked 16 hour tours to restore our power. Although this was a major inconvenience for all of us and we had major tree damage and some property damage, thankfully no one was injured.

Our OEM plans and drills are continuous; the next drill will take place at the United Water facility in Haworth in October. In cases where emergency shelter is needed, both our firehouse and ambulance corps buildings will be equipped with generators.

The most frustrating aspect of this type of incident is obtaining accurate information, i.e., "When am I getting my power back?" During Ernesto, the police, auxiliary vehicles and I reached out to all areas of town to keep everyone informed. We would get power restored and then another transformer would short out forcing us to start over. We are currently in the process of exploring the reverse 9-1-1 telephone alert system to keep residents informed during an emergency.

Thanks to everyone for your patience and all of you who came out to volunteer to help with the clean-up, offer a cup of coffee or say thank you. It was greatly appreciated.

Mayor John Dean DeRienzo