Point Beach Officials Considering Upgraded Office Of Emergency Management Facilities

Borough officials are trying to establish some sort of command center for the Office of Emergency Management, that can be used during emergencies and storms, according to a report in the Ocean Star.

“They would like a command center in case people have to sleep over, they would have to move the chairs out of the council chambers and sleep,” Councilman Andy Cortes said.

Right now the only place they can meet and uses as a conference center is the council chambers, he said.

Borough officials have already met with a representative of borough-based Aquatecture Associates Inc., on River Avenue.

“We have some unused space, we can make some adjustments before we start putting a big addition on to the building. That is basically where it sits,” Cortes said.

The police station, which is housed in borough hall, nearly flooded during Superstorm Sandy.

“The idea coming from the chief and in conjunction with emergency management would be to put a second story addition on,” Cortes said “Underneath that second story addition would be like a carport for some of the vehicles.
Computer systems would be moved to the second floor command center, eliminating the danger of a flood destroying crucial communications equipment.

“We were six inches away from losing everything during Sandy,” Councilman Thomas Toohey said at the borough’s Dec. 6 council meeting.

Mayor Stephen Reid said the borough needs to start "moving forward" with plans.

“I know we have talked about it and talked about it, but we haven’t started moving forward," he said. "I think it might be time to do that."

Image: Chamber of Commerce