Office of Emergency Management
NEWS RELEASE: THE NEED TO PROPERLY PREPARE
BOROUGH OF RIDGEFIELD
OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
604 Broad Avenue
Ridgefield, New Jersey 07657
201-943-3600, Ext. 309
NEWS RELEASE:
THE NEED TO PROPERLY PREPARE
The need to properly prepare for a sudden incident or emergency will be the topic of discussion at the Ridgefield Emergency Management meeting on Monday, February 1, 2010 starting at 7:30 PM at the Ridgefield Community Center located at 725 Slocum Avenue. “Being prepared before something happens is important. Many people fail to realize this. We need to get the word out to preplan and be prepared.
Life can change in seconds, as we see with the recent earthquake in Haiti. While that is an extreme event, the same is true for people who experience a house fire, extended loss of power or need to evacuate for whatever reason. Many times people fail to preplan and have no idea what to do. By “preplanning for the emergency”, you have taken the time before the emergency occurs, to make the necessary arrangements. You now have a set plan and know exactly what you have to do to handle the emergency.
This presentation is open to residents of Ridgefield and surrounding communities. We would like everyone to attend. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Ridgefield Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Handschin at 201-943-3600 or by e-mail message to MHANDSCHIN@RIDGEFIELDBORO.COM
Submitted by:
Al Hoffman, Deputy Coordinator
201-446-8307
ahoffman@nj.rr.com
Ridgefield OEM meetings
The Ridgefield OEM meetings will be held at the Community Center starting at 7:30 PM. Generally meetings are on the first Monday of the month, with the exception of no meetings in July & August, and on the second Monday of the month in September due to Labor Day. It is undecided at this point if we are going to hold a meeting in December. If we do, we may make it at a different time and place. We will decide closer to November.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
Monday June 7, 2010
No meeting in July
No meeting in August
Monday, Sept. 13, 2010 (note: second Monday of Month).
Monday, Oct. 4, 2010
Monday, Nov. 1, 2010
Monday, Dec. 2, 2010
Office of Emergency Management (OEM)
Borough of Ridgefield
Office of Emergency Management
604 Broad Ave.
Ridgefield, New Jersey 07657
201-943-3600 ext 309 & 310
Mike Handschin
Director
Albert Hoffman
Deputy Director
Robert Rathgeber
Operations Officer
Mission Statement
To provide a comprehensive emergency management system which coordinates people and resources to protect the lives, property and environment of the Borough of Ridgefield, using an all-hazard approach through mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery from disasters and emergencies. The REOM is the local equivalent of FEMA on the federal level.
Responsibilities
In the event of a large-scale emergency or disaster, the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is responsible, by Federal and State law, for the coordination of all the emergency services in the Borough of Ridgefield. This includes police, fire, ambulance, public works, Health Department, and all additional agencies contributing to any large-scale emergency incident or disaster.
Emergency incidents can strike anytime, anywhere, and in many forms, such as a hurricane, snow storm, earthquake, flood, fire, hazardous material incident, an act of nature, or an act of terrorism.
Teamwork
Besides working closely with the Police Chief, Fire Chief, Ambulance Corps, the ROEM receives support from the Bergen County Office of Emergency Management and the New Jersey State Office of Emergency Management. Membership is also held in the New Jersey State Emergency Management Association where experience and knowledge are shared by all Emergency Management personnel.
Helpful Links
Bergen County Office of Emergency Management
New Jersey Office of Emergency Management
New Jersey Homeland Security
Federal Emergency Management Agency
American Red Cross
Volunteers Needed
Did you ever wonder what you would do if you had a moderate or large fire in your house? What would you do if we had a hurricane heading towards New Jersey, like the four that hit Florida in 2004? What would happen if you had to leave your home and could not go back for several days? Where would you go and what would you do? Who would help take care of your family & pets?
The Ridgefield Office of Emergency Management (OEM) helps Ridgefield residents face such emergencies. OEM assists when residents are displaced from their homes and need help. We are looking for volunteers to help in numerous areas of need. Whatever your interests or talents, OEM can use your skills or talents to help others when in need. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer to help your fellow residents, please fill out the form available below.
The volunteer sign-up form is available below for downloading and viewing.
Volunteer sign-up
CARBON MONOXIDE AND HOME FIRE RISKS ARE HEATING UP THIS WINTER
The Home Safety Council® provide safe, home heating practices.
With frigid temperatures and winter storms blanketing communities across the United States, the national nonprofit Home Safety Council are encouraging families to keep safety top of mind when heating the home this winter. Following safe heating practices will protect homes against two of the most common winter safety hazards: fires and carbon monoxide (CO).
The Home Safety Council’s State of Home Safety in America™ report revealed 67 percent of American households use fuel-burning appliances and equipment, such as gas fireplaces, wood stoves, to keep their loved ones warm during winter months. When using such products, be sure to follow all the manufacturers’ instructions and install a working CO monitor that will detect and alert your family when dangerous levels of the deadly—and odorless—gas are present.
To protect against fire, it is critical that families check all heat sources throughout their home to make sure they are not too close to anything that can burn. To be safe from Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning, have all fuel-burning appliances inspected and cleaned by a professional, and install at least one CO detector to alert you to dangerous levels of the deadly gas in your home.”
An alarming 59 percent of American households have not installed a CO detector, and many other homes do not have a working CO detector due to missing or dead batteries. This is the perfect opportunity to check the batteries in CO monitors and smoke alarms to ensure they are working properly.
The Home Safety Council offer the following tips to help warm up your home while preventing fire and CO dangers this winter.
Portable Space Heaters
• Make sure your heater has been tested for safety. Look on the bottom for a label such as ETL, UL or CSA.
• Place space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn, including furniture, people, pets and curtains.
• There should always be an adult in the room when a space heater is on.
• Turn off space heaters before leaving a room or going to sleep.
• Never use space heaters to dry clothing or blankets.
Prevent CO Dangers
• Install at least one CO alarm near sleeping areas.
• Have a trained professional inspect, clean and tune-up your home’s central heating system and repair leaks or other problems.
• Keep gas appliances properly adjusted and serviced.
• Never use an oven or range to heat your home.
• Never use a gas or charcoal grill inside your home or in a closed garage.
Fireplaces and Wood Stoves
• Burn only seasoned hardwood like oak, ash or maple. Do not burn trash or cardboard boxes because these items burn unevenly, and may contain poisons or cause a home fire.
• Have a professional chimney sweep inspect chimneys every year.
• Open flues before fireplaces are used.
• Use sturdy screens or glass doors to keep embers inside fireplaces.
For more information and resources on how to stay safe during the winter season, visit www.mysafehome.org