Lacey's Office of Emergency Management Works to Increase Preparedness

Lacey’s Office of Emergency Management’s website is up and running and so is the office.

The website, although still a work in progress, was launched in April, Deputy Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Resetar said.

“We’ve tried incorporating not only a safety message but any time we’re aware of threatening weather,” he said. “It’s all about situational awareness and trying to make people aware of what’s going on.”

The website has information on power emergencies, disaster preparations and more.

The Office of Emergency Management connected the website to JCP&L so power outage maps would be readily available as well as the National Weather Service.

“That’s given us a lot of abilities connected through our site,” Resetar said. “It’s all about notifying them that there’s information available to them.”

Currently, a web application is in development that will enable the Office of Emergency Management to post alerts even if there is a power outage.

Resetar also is hoping to make the website mobile and iPad friendly, he said.

“The process is to get it out to the public. The government can help the people but the people have to be able to help themselves also,” he said. “We’re trying to make people aware that they need to be thinking too.”

This year, the Office of Emergency Management has enlisted the help of local businesses through the Local Emergency Preparedness Council. Various businesses participated in a meeting.

“They’re part of preparedness in the community whether their store becomes a shelter or a resource,” Resetar said. “It’s getting the community involved in the community.”

The Office of Emergency Management also is working with the state fire service for a fire watch program. Similar to Barnegat, the program would ensure that the township is mapped properly. For example, the service would ensure that homes have the right amount of clearing from trees.

Lacey was the last community in New Jersey to get funding from the state for the fire watch program. Resetar anticipates the program rolling out toward the end of September.

In the future, the Office of Emergency Management plans to kick start a Certified Emergency Response Team in which volunteers throughout the township would get trained to assist emergency management in times of disasters.

The volunteers could assist in emergency situations or simply provide extra eyes and ears during an event like Lacey Day, Resetar said.

“We’re actively involved in a lot of different things in the township,” Resetar said.

The Office of Emergency Management has several grants pending with the state and federal government, one of which would help improve the radio network for the police, fire departments and EMS squads.

“We want involvement at all levels,” he said. “The community has to help the community.”